No Other Choice
by GeorgiaFranchot
Summary: A late night at the library sends Hermione into the ROR. Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy is also there...
1. Winter

(Author's Note: This was based on a dream I had once, but not all of it. This is my first fanfic so tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!)

Winter. It's bitterly cold and bitterly depressing for me, Hermione. Aged sixteen, and longing for some change. Its half past ten and Harry no longer has his invisibility cloak. I grin to myself, thinking about how the girls can sneak into the boys' dormitories, but not vice versa. He won't mind anyway. Well, he won't be surprised, when he finds the note; 'Harry, gone to read up on "Hogwarts: A History". I've taken your cloak. Hermione.'

I bet he'll probably be scanning around for his glasses anyway, reading that Potions book. Again. I don't trust it, I really don't, but that's not the point. I'm sitting in the library under the cloak, reading, but the words are just sitting there, bored as I am. They don't fill me with knowledge and happiness, the usual weird high I get from learning. They just stare at me. 'What're you looking at us for?' they challenge.

"Oh shut up." I whisper.

"Why are you up at this time anyway? It's freezing. You should be in bed, if not asleep."

"I can do what I want!" I hiss.

"Oh, a rebel are we?"

"Shut up!"

Only then did it occur to me that I was arguing with an inanimate object. Clearly I was going insane. I needed sleep, and I needed it now. I slowly closed the book, and stuffed it into a corner, treading lightly out of the library, my school shoes making the loudest noise.

It took me longer than usual to find my way to bed. I wandered aimlessly around, feeling very lonely. "I wish I had a boyfriend." I mused. "It would mean I'd have someone to laugh with, someone to hold me…hell, I'd even go for an affair if anyone was interested in me!"

Eventually I was just walking in circles, thinking 'I just want somewhere to sleep…' and I paused after a while, shuddering at the harsh wind biting at my flesh. I stumbled through a pair of dark doors into the gloom, seeing only a double bed and a warm, crackling fire. That's all I'd focus on, getting some sleep and keeping warm.

But nobody can miss that flash of white-blond hair. I was furious. "Malfoy!"

He spun around, looking startled, until I realised I was still wearing the cloak. I decided to keep it on for some entertainment.

Was it just me, or did his eyes look really mysterious?

"Draco Malfoy…" I said softly. He stood still. I carried on. "Tell me why you are here."

"Why should I?" he said stubbornly. Hm. Not going to give up easily, then. I slid my shoes off, and clutched them in one hand, treading in my socks. "Because if you don't….you will suffer the consequences."

Well, it was payback wasn't it? For all those times…

"Define 'consequences'." He said cleverly.

Damn.

"Er…"

No, ghosts didn't say 'er'!

"What I meant to say is, you will suffer a fate worse than death. Tell me why you are here!" I commanded him.

"Only if you tell me first, mudblood."

It was my turn to stand stock still. I'd been quite clever in throwing my voice, but Dra—Malfoy was not completely stupid.

"Borrowed Potter's cloak, have you?" he said in a scathing tone. I seized the folds and then tried to edge towards the door. As if reading my mind, he ordered me, "Don't even think about moving."

Walking towards the door, he tried to open the double doors-presumably to kick me out-and they wouldn't shift. Puzzled, he tugged and twisted. "They've locked."

I let the cloak slide to the floor and tried the standard charm, but it was no use. I yanked and twisted but nothing happened. "We can't be stuck in here!" I said frantically. I glared at Malfoy. "Have you cursed it or something?"

"I'm hardly about to lock the door so I can be in a room with you all night, mudblood." He sneered.

"Don't call me mudblood!" I said angrily, swiping at him. Of course, he smartly stepped out of reach and said, "Granger," he took his time to enunciate, "I am aware that you are frustrated right now," he spoke slowly, in a patronising tone, which did little to me, "but we're stuck in here, like it or not, and we'll just have to put up with each other for the night."

"Oh per-lease!" I scoffed. "You're not really going along with this are you? We've got to get out of here."

"Granger," he said slowly, as if I was seven, not seventeen this past September, "The door is locked. This is the Room of Requirement we're talking about here. You can't possibly think a mere spell is going to get us out? I mean…" Malfoy trailed off, and his silver eyes darkened as he muttered angrily, casting his eyes up.

Mistletoe.

"No way!" I said loudly, stepping away, flushing red.

"Granger," he lightened his tone, conceding to the stubborn me, "I know that this is not easy for you at all. But neither is this easy for me."

I just looked away, trying very hard not to think.

Draco ran a hand through his blond hair and tried again. "You might prefer to sleep in your own bed, but until we've figured out the logistics of that, we'll have to have our sleep here.."

"I don't need you to tell me what's going on," I reiterated. "I'm not stupid."

"Could've fooled me." Draco rolled his eyes, then shook his head, whether at me or at the situation, I don't know. "You are a Gryffindor, so clearly you're trying to act brave and all of that nonsense, but the fact is that we're stuck in this Room and well—" he gestured upwards again.

"You can't honestly think that I'm going to kiss you, do you?" I shuddered. Okay, there was a little voice inside of me, but I really did not want to know what it was going to tell me. I'd had enough with that bloody book.

But still, it was bloody inconvenient!

"Oh please, don't give me nightmares." Malfoy muttered.

The silence stretched between us.

Draco decided that he would begin once more. "Granger," he repeated exasperatedly, "We need to discuss about how we're going to go about this."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the door, silently waiting for Draco to begin the discussion.

Wait…did I just call him 'Draco'? Even if it's just in my head, that can't be good.


	2. Thinking

And so I just stood there, glaring. Draco clearly didn't know how to proceed, so I just shook my head at him and addressed the room; "We need another bed."

Nothing happened. Malfoy rolled his eyes and I just gave up, undoing my tie and top button, and slipping off my robes: the fire was way too hot for my liking. It had to be a joke. But then I saw Malfoy's raised eyebrows and yanked my robes back on.

"Pervert!"

"Mudblood." He shot back.

"Death Eater!" the words slipped out involuntarily, and a very angry Draco Malfoy had slammed me against the stone wall. The air was knocked out of me and I was choking. "Didn't-mean-slipped-out-" I coughed, struggling against his hands.

"For a bookworm, you're awfully damned stupid." He growled, looking at me. I shook my head and twisted out of his grip, but he caught my wrist.

"We're going to have to think about this." He told me. I shook my head violently and sat on the double bed, cross legged, tapping my fingers on the headboard. Tap, tap, tap…

Draco kicked off his shoes and casually untucked his shirt, tie knotted just as casually around the shirt collar. Nervousness creeping in, tap, tap, tap…

He strode around the room, taking it in. I did too. The double bed, a sofa, a bathroom…it seemed to have equipped all our needs.

"There's just one thing missing." He voiced. I asked warily, "What's that?"

"A fucking key."

I tapped some more as he moved about, and I closed my eyes, tired out.

Tap, tap, t—

Warm skin enveloped my left hand, ceasing the incessant tapping. Gulping, I lowered my gaze to the pale hand covering my own. Heat spread throughout my face and with glowing cheeks, I looked up when Draco called my name. The quiet stretched on for what seemed an eternity, before I found my voice.

"Draco…"

Draco's lips slowly quirked and they soon formed an obnoxious smirk.

"I would suggest, Granger, that you stop that annoying tapping, before I am forced to cut off your hand."

I yanked my hand away from his, blushing furiously. Draco lifted a questioning eyebrow and then his smirk gave way to hysterical laughter.

"You should have seen your face. It was priceless." Being so preoccupied with his overall mirth at the situation, Draco missed the change in my mood. No longer did I colour with shades of embarrassment, oh no, now I coloured with unadulterated anger.

"What? Did you actually think, "He gasped between his chuckles, "that I was trying to flirt? With you?" He laughed even harder, when an indignant look crossed my face, and I bend my head so he couldn't see the blush returning. I was boiling hot and longed to get into a thin nightie or something so I wasn't actually melting and so I could curl up and sleep.

"Don't flatter yourself." I mumbled and he went quiet. I looked up, startled at the sudden silence; even the fire had quietened itself. A gleam in his eye had gone out, and for the tiniest, tiniest second I thought there was a flash of hurt in his eyes, but then I decided it was just the fire. It had to be, clearly. It was simple, logical.

"So…" he muttered. I glanced at my wrist, only to remember I didn't have one. It wouldn't have worked in Hogwarts anyway.

"At least I'm away from the real world for a bit." I sighed to myself, and Draco, surprisingly, agreed.

"We can be ourselves. Think what we want. Say what we want. Do what we want."

I thought carefully about that very last remark, but decided to leave it.

Then, very randomly, my mind told me how hilarious it would be if I changed the word 'wand' to 'willy'. How childish! But it made me think…

"... Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your willies."

"There will be no foolish willy-waving or silly incantations in this class!"

"Just because you can use magic now does not mean you have to whip your willies out for everything!"

"...did things with a willy I've never seen before..."

I nibbled on the right side of my lip. Looking down, I smirked to myself at the absurdity of it all. I was sitting with Draco Malfoy…on a bed…essentially….technically thinking about…dirty stuff.

I nibbled harder, and carefully glanced at the Draco that had unbuttoned his shirt and flung himself down on the bed, hands under his head and gazing at the ceiling. I nibbled so much I wasn't going to have a 'right' side of my lip for much longer.

"Stop that nibbling, for God's sake!"

I managed to convert it to the middle, and more subtle.

"I'm bored…" I mumbled.

"Typical Granger…not happy unless you have a book in your hands, or on your knees in front of the Weasel."

I bit down on the left of my mouth and looked outraged. "Oh no you did NOT just say that!"

"Which annoyed you more, the book reference or the innuendo?" he smirked.

"What the fuck do you think?!" I shoved him, but he barely flinched.

"Well, considering the expletive you just put into effe—"

"Don't you 'expletive' me! I'm not totally innocent you know!"

A silence.

"What did you mean by that?" he asked, turning on his side and looking at me….with curiosity.

I shrugged. "Just, I'm not a totally goody two shoes, I am a teenager. I get insecure and I swear and I like boys from time to time."

"That's it?"

"Well, yeah. What'd you expect?"

"Sounded like you finger yourself or something." Malfoy threw it out into the air casually, as if he'd mentioned that it was raining.

"Well, I can assure you I don't!" I told him. "Disappointed?"

"Well, the idea of a mud—of you doing that…it doesn't seem right. 'Cause you're all innocence and light aren't you?"

I noticed he'd side stepped the 'mudblood' remark and nodded to acknowledge it.

"Well, apart from what I've already said…you could say so, yeah." I said absently.

"You know, I never expected this to happen."

"What?"

"I'm having a civil conversation with you. And I expected you to be the one to say that."

"Well, yeah, but I figured you'd just say something about my blood or something. Or suggest I'm going out with Ron and/or Harry, when in reality it's neither." I said firmly.

"And, OR?!" Draco spluttered. "What kind of mind have you got, Hermione?"

I didn't say anything. He'd called me Hermione.


	3. Revealing

I just shook my head at him.

"You're the one who suggested I'm shagging Weasley. Ron, I mean."

Draco looked merely amused. "So you're not?"

"Nope."

"Potter?"

"Per-lease."

"Longbottom?"

"Sorry to disappoint." I grinned, sliding my robes off and rolling my sleeves up, feeling more awake than ever, nibbling on a bowl of convenient grapes. Red and green, great!

"Finnigan?"

"Well, that Irish accent is just so damn irresistible…..but no." I rolled my eyes.

"They're not in Gryffindor are they?"

"Nope."

"Is it a girl?"

"No!"

"Okay. Hufflepuff?"

"We're going to be here all night."

"Ravenclaw?"

"You know," I said hastily, "just guessing a house isn't going to work. Maybe I'm messing with your mind anyway. Which is dirty."

"Well, you were the one fidgeting around, nibbling on your lip before. Maybe fantasising about someone?"

"Oh shut up." I flushed when he reached over for the bowl of grapes.

"You just can't resist, can you?" he smirked.

I drew myself up to this teenage boy and said haughtily, "For your information Draco, I think you've got a dirty mind, and may I remind you that I am a prefect-"

But then he grabbed hold of me, and just kissed me.

I gasped, therefore opening my mouth and deepening the kiss I'd only dreamed of. It should've been a nightmare, especially as I'd never actually kissed a boy before, but this was just… (Excuse the pun)…magical.

His fingers running through my smooth hair, as it had improved considerably over an amount of time, and I grabbed his shirt. Breathing in that Draco-smell, I rejoiced in my head. I was kissing Draco Malfoy and he'd started the kiss and—

--he'd also stopped it.

"_I'm_ the one who has the dirty mind?" he laughed. My heart plummeted, and tears filled my eyes.

"Prat." I muttered, hiding under my hair. My skirt was rucked up, and you could nearly see my knickers. White, with black lace actually, since I'd had Potions that day and secretly been thrilled at having to move to be with Draco and Blaise. Blaise had been swapped with me and I'd acted all pissed off at being at the complete opposite side of the room to the duo I knew so well. But then I just peacefully got on with it, and nearly swooned when it got so hot that a certain someone rolled up his sleeves. I tended to wear more…'interesting' underwear when I was around the boy I liked. I'd liked Ron for a bit in fifth year but that kind of faded. Then…well; now you know. Draco.

"Hey, you alright?" someone's hand touched my hair. I moved away a little.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not about to go all silly and sentimental on you." I said harshly. "Shame, I'd like to see you get all passionate," Draco mused as I did a Silent spell to rid my tears away.

"Or actually 'not as innocent as I think'." He said. I looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"You know…like breaking the rules or something?"

"Yeah…being bad." He tossed a grape into his mouth.

"'Cause I'm bad, I'm bad, really really bad! You know I'm bad; I'm bad, really really bad! And the whole world has to answer right now as I tell you once again, who's bad!" I sang, and explained, "Famous song. But what d'you mean, bad?" I inquired, wondering if he was going to have some perverted fantasy just to freak me out. A clock on the wall told me it had only been an hour.

Half eleven now.

"I don't know, answer back at a teacher or something, and make it more interesting for me." A finger tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Look at me." He said. I moved my eyes to meet his.

"Why are we here?" I asked, "I didn't exactly expect to see you here. Or even talk to me if you were. Gryffindors are hated by Slytherins, remember?"

"I thought it would be fun to come here and make fun of people that I don't like. I know making fun of people always makes me feel better. Reminds me that I am superior," Draco remarked, adding, "And I'm sure they have plenty of vodka here."

"But, I wasn't planning on coming here," I said softly. "Just to go to bed. Alone…"

"It will be fun," Draco urged. "We can have some alcohol, something good to eat, and as stated before, sit around and make fun of people we don't like..."

I laughed and said, "But, that's not nice."

"And your point is?" he asked.

"My point is that, that's not nice," I said again.

"And your point is?" he said again, adding, "Whoever said I was nice? You aren't that nice either, if I recall."

"I'm very nice," I said.

"Blah, blah, blah," he mocked, "That's all I hear when you say things like that."

"Is there something wrong with me?" I asked.

"Probably." He rolled his eyes.

I went to look in the bathroom. The mirror was certainly large enough, and I tried not to notice the size of the bath.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, just looking at something," I said. I went back up to the mirror. I looked at my reflection. He came up and stood behind me...and I sensed the warmth of his body next to mine...

He asked, "And at what are we looking?"

"I was trying to see what was wrong with me," I answered.

"I didn't mean there was anything wrong with you physically when I answered your question. You are actually quite good looking, in a Muggle-born sort of way." My reflection gave his a nasty glare, until he smiled, to show he was joking.

"What did you mean, then?"

"Just that you are mourning over Weasley, who never would have worked out anyway and you stuck it out all those months with him, even though you must have known it would lead nowhere. That's what's wrong with you. You're afraid. Afraid of being alone, afraid of failure, and afraid of what other people think," he deduced.

I turned and looked at his face. He looked down at me. He was quite tall, I suddenly realized.

"Is that what you really think?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered.

I turned back around toward the mirror again, and looked at my own face. "That's what I think, as well," I admitted.

"I reckon it's time for a wash. A long soak." He smiled lazily.

I was already standing up, planning to brush my teeth and have a soak too, but instead

I held out my hand so he could get up from the gigantic bed. He took my hand and let me help him stand.

"How chivalrous of you. You are quite the gentleman," he said.

"I'm a lady," I joked. Maybe I was already asleep. This was too surreal, there was banter!

"I need definitive proof, before I make my final judgment," he said. He leaned his right shoulder against the wall.

"What kind of proof?" I asked, standing up straight, a bit put out.

"Let me see some female anatomy, and then I might be swayed into believing you're a lady," he said.

"You are a pervert," I said, laughing. I started down towards the bathroom.

"Just a quick look," he said.

I turned to look at him as I stopped. "NO!"

He ran in front of me. He said, "Maybe a quick feel? Either breast would do."

I looked shocked, but had a large grin on her face. I hit his arm and said, "Never!"

"Never?" he asked back.

"Draco Malfoy, you are a sick pervert," I said, trying to step past him. I stumbled, but managed to slip past him.

I started to run the bath with all sorts of stuff, it had everything and more from the Muggle shop Lush, and as I bent slightly to upend an entire bottle of rose oil, I sensed Draco behind me. And as I'd been walking, I'd closed the door and unbuttoned my shirt. I'd just now accidentally turned around and I didn't dare look at him. Except I did.

"Er…you walked in on me." I tried. He just looked at me.

"For God's sake Hermione! You just keep on surprising me!"

I yanked my shirt together, and asked him, flaming red, how? How did I surprise him?

"Well first there's the fact you actually know how to swear—"

"Drac—"

"And now I find out…well, you're…you're insecure about this, aren't you?" he asked as I turned away from him, squeaking the taps to a halt.

"Maybe. Why should you care?"

"There's nothing wrong with you." He said abruptly. I turned slowly, and he just as slowly, as if approaching a wild deer that's caught in the headlights, moved towards me.

He moved my arms away from my stomach and slipped my school shirt off. Hmm, I was smaller than some of the others, but not tiny. You could say I was average.

"That's perfectly good." He said as if…well, talking about anything other than the quality of my…well, you know! What do you expect me to say? Tits, boobs, breasts? You know the subject at hand; let's just get on with it.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Don't be insecure, seriously." He told me. I hid behind the door as I slipped off my skirt and socks and unthinkingly tossed them perfectly into his line of sight. I was planning to put on a dressing gown and tell him to piss off while I had my bath, but Draco had other plans.

"Oh my God!" he said, sounding shocked, but also humorous.

"What?" I called, looking down at myself.

"Hermione Granger is only in her underwear!"

"Well done. I'm glad you can work that out. It'll get you very far in life." I said sarcastically.

I heard him step in more, and I noticed first that he was barefoot.

"No!" I shrieked, but laughing too, as he caught me behind the door and pinned me to the wall gently. He laughed too, an unusual, but not unpleasant sound.

"We kissed today." I said shyly.

"Really, I didn't know that," he said sarcastically.

"Smart arse," I smiled.

"Do you regret the kiss?" he asked.

"Not at all, do you?" I asked, thinking I might as well tell the truth, he was being…almost decent to me. And he asked me, anyway.

"Of course," he said, even more sarcastically. He smiled and bumped his shoulder into mine. "You are so gullible, Granger. I don't regret it."

"Would we have kissed again just now, in the bathroom?" I asked.

"I was hoping so," he said truthfully. I stared. He was so easy to read.

"So, do you like me or something?" I asked.

"Are we children?" He grinned. "Do we 'like' each other?"

"Well, okay, let me rephrase this," I restated my sentence, to pacify him, and sat on the edge of the bath, feeling quite safe, especially when his arm went around my shoulder "Do you see us seeing each other after this night?"

"Perhaps," he said coyly, leaning down and picking up a bath bomb.

"Do you see us going out, or something?" I said shyly.

"I see us together, though maybe in secret, obviously, and I definitely see the 'or something'." He smiled coyly and threw the bath bomb down and put his hands on my knees. He leaned closer to me, and when he was almost nose to nose with me, he asked, "Does that answer your question?"

I nodded, very slowly. "And now I want you to do something Draco. Please. Just for me."

He waited.

"I want you to get out so I can have my bath in peace!"

He moaned, "Oh but…" gesturing to what little I was wearing. I'd grabbed the robe in the mean time and threatened, "If you don't get out right now, this is all you'll ever see!"

Why oh why did I say THAT? Now he'll be expecting more, I thought, as I lathered my hair and shaved my legs, and stuff. All the usual. As I towelled my hair and dried it with my wand, I asked Draco to pass me something I could wear.

"And don't even think about lingerie!"

I was passed a silky green nightie that accentuated my chest, but nothing too much. It went just to above my knees.

"Nice choice of colour isn't it?" he commented as I gave him a twirl.

"What do you think?" I asked playfully.

"I can see your—"

I rolled my eyes. "Well done Draco. I do not have a ten year old body. I am seventeen you know."

"You don't say." He said sarcastically.

I smiled and moved closer to the bed. "Well, shame to waste this bed really…"

He smirked. "You gave in?"

"I'm tired, Draco."

"You have an amazing mouth. Soft, smooth, and very kissable," he said, leaning over to demonstrate, he kissed me softly, and quickly. I grabbed his shoulders and scrambled onto the bed. "Very dignified." He laughed lightly and I smiled into his mouth.

We lay on the bed together, and then he stood up and said, "I need to get my bath." I moaned. "D'you have to?"

"I'm afraid so, though it seems you can't bear being alone for a second. Care to join me?"

"I'll sit in the bathroom." I shrugged, not even thinking it through. His eyes widened and my mouth dropped open.

"Oh!"

"You take it back?" he laughed.

"You think I'm so dirty." I rolled my eyes for what seemed like the millionth time.

"I know you are." He said, as his hands caressed the soft nightwear, and then one fingered a strap and slid down. His hands weren't cold, I noted as they slipped down the dress. I nearly bit him, I was so frustrated.

"I wish that we never had to come out of this Room." I moaned as he cupped my breast.

"Technically there isn't a time limit." He told me.

"But obviously lessons…and stuff."

"You'll be fine. You just need to get it out of your system." He looked at me gently and kissed me on the mouth.

"I can't believe this," I mused, "Draco Malfoy, the pureblood Slytherin, kissing me, Hermione Granger, mudblood Gryffindor."

"Hermione!"

"What? You've said it, why can't I?"

"'Cause I was a thoughtless prick and I never ever intend to hurt you like that ever again." He declared.

"And why's that?" I challenged, only to be struck dumb by the answer.

"Because I love you."


	4. I'm Sorry

(A.N: Thank you so very very much for the great reviews so far! I know Draco's been a little OOC, but perhaps he's just a little insecure inside…keep reviewing and I will love you for ever if you send me a few suggestions!)

I stared.

"Did you hear me?"

I shook my head.

"I said I love you."

I shook my head again.

"Are you going deaf on me, Hermione?"

He said my name, he said he loved me.

He pointed to himself, then to me.

"I love you, Hermione."

I smiled. "I like the sound of that. But how do I know this isn't one whole cheap line just to get me into bed then spread it tomorrow?"

I regretted it before I said it.

"You think," he said quietly, "that I've done all this, talked to you like this, acted like this, been the real me, and actually admitted I loved you, just so I could shag you?"

I shook my head quickly. "Draco, no. I am so sorry—"

But his face changed. It hardened, and went back to the usual, every day Draco I'd seen for the past few years.

"I thought you'd be different."

"Draco, you have no idea how bad I feel right now, I'm really, really-"

"I don't care. Just stay away from me. You're just as bad as the others." He said cruelly, and walked, without looking back, into the bathroom, which he locked.

I just stood there, idiotically, as the clock showed me five to midnight.

"Draco, I am so sorry." I whispered, the tears trickling down my cheeks, and making dark spots on the nightie.

"Draco!" I ran to the door and tried the standard charm yet again, but no, no use. "Draco!" I repeated, choking on my own sadness.

"Just go away. You've made your point. Go and revel in it to your duo." He called, tense. I thought there was a catch in his throat.

"Draco, I love you." I sank and leaned against the door.

Utter stillness.

"Draco, I love you. I've 'liked' you since…since the first day back, practically but only now, when I make the worst mistake of my life, do I realise I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you." I cried.

"Prove it." His voice shook but there was steely determination.

"I'd do anything for you." I said honestly. "I would give up everything. My life, my friends, Harry, Ron, I'd do anything for you, anything. I'd tell everyone of our relationship if you wanted me to, and I wouldn't care if they all turned against me, as long as I had you, I'd do at least one thing every day to show you I loved you, I'd kiss you and hold you and talk to you, I'd listen to you and help you if you were upset. I'd give you advice if you needed it, I'd spend time with you, Dragon, but only if you wanted me to. If you wanted me to leave, then I would. I'd vanish, and pretend I'd never been a part of your life, I'd pretend this night never, ever happened and I'd convince myself I was just a silly little mudblood who didn't even understand what 'love' is." I said, and I drew breath to say more, but the door unlocked and soaking wet, dripping wet, from his hair to his feet, and I just stared at him.

"Dra—" but he interrupted me.

"Don't call yourself mudblood."

"I deserve it, after saying that stuff to you. I am so sorry for not trusting you. It was thoughtless and a really harsh thing to say." I said quietly.

"I'm making your dress all wet." He noted, as I pressed against his chest.

"I don't care. All I care about right now is you, and how much I love you. I love you Draco, and there's nothing else I care about in the world right now."

"Not even the way I've treated you in the past?"

"You've changed."

"I'm blessed to have someone so easily forgiving. I'm sorry about what I said before, it was out of order and certainly too harsh. Look at you, you seem so shocked. Are you alright?"

I tried not to cry. "I was so worried that I'd lost you, for ever. You have no idea…"

"Look, there's something else I regret saying too, but please don't take it the wrong way."

"Mhm…" I mumbled, facing towards the bed and just wanting to go to sleep.

"I regret saying 'I love you', but it's only because I said it impulsively, just out of the blue. I like you Hermione, and the fact is I like you enough to kiss you and so on…but if this is actually going to work then we need to go slowly. We can't declare our love after a few hours, since for the past few years, I've insulted you thoughtlessly, and you've been willing to kill me."

"True, that." I smiled weakly.

"So, we both 'like' each other, to be basic, let's just see how this goes…and something tells me it would be a good idea not to tell anyone?"

"Agreed." I nodded.

"Especially old lightning bold, and ginger."

I rolled my eyes but consented.

"Right, now I hate to break it to you Granger, but you're going to have to let go of me now or I can't be responsible for my actions." He smirked and that was the exact moment I realised he didn't have a towel around him.

I jumped away, flushing brilliantly. I would have put a beetroot to shame.

"Oh God! Sorry, sorry-" I mumbled hastily, turning to look at the double bed. I suddenly had a thought. Oh God. I was so jumpy now…

I must already be dreaming, really, really! Really? Really really. Oh _God_, now is not-repeat, NOT- the time to be quoting Shrek. What is actually _wrong_ with me? I found an interesting book on a table, and immersed myself in it as Draco chuckled to himself.

"You just can't resist, can you?" I could hear his grin, and stuck my nose further in.

"Oh shut up." I muttered, focusing on Chapter Ten of Dealing With Dementors. He continued of course, to laugh though and tease me. "Hermione Granger actually thinks like a teenager. I wonder if she thinks about innuendos from time to time…I wonder if she's ever had to stop herself from laughing because of it? I wonder if she—"

"I am here, you know." I mumbled.

"You can look, you know." He retorted, and I did, and I started to say that sounds wrong on so many levels—" but he creased up laughing when I got to 'wrong'. I smacked him as he slid into bed and I immediately tensed.

"Sorry, sorry!" I said hastily but he shook his head.

"Calm down Granger, I'm not about to eat you. Now let's put the sentimental stuff aside for a moment, and see if we can survive the night."

Fair enough-we had to see if we actually liked each other as friends first before we could consider anything else.

The lights dimmed, and only a few candles flickered. I was going to get worried if Nat King Cole's LOVE started playing.

"You ok?" I mumbled, tired out, but before I heard the reply, darkness closed in on me and I was finally asleep.

_Okay, I know this wasn't as long as the past few chapters, but I'll see what I can create in the next one! I'd love ideas, in case I get stuck, and let me know if something doesn't seem quite right. Reviews are so helpful! DSOTM-94_


	5. Suggestive

I woke up from the most amazing, sensual, emotionally stirring dream I'd ever had in my life. I'd dreamt, that on the last day of term, before the winter holidays, that I'd been in the Room of Requirement with Draco Malfoy, we'd laughed, and talked, and kissed. The kisses! They were so different, and new. Nothing like I'd expected. I closed my eyes and hid under the covers, knowing it was so wrong, but I wanted to slip into that dream world once more. Just one more time before I had to face the holidays alone…

I then noticed a hand around my shoulders, and crossing over my stomach. I must be back in the dream world already. "Ahhh." I sighed happily to myself. I had lucid dreams-I'd looked them up in the library, obviously-so I could control them. I could do whatever I wanted in them, therefore I tended to be a lot braver in them…but that was just how my dreams went.

I looked at the pale hand tracing my stomach and going up to my neck. I took hold of the hand and bit it.

"Ow! Have you gone mad?" a voice jumped out from above.

"I was checking if you were a dream." I confessed. A short laugh touched my ears and I slid out of my cave.

"Morning." He nodded to me, as if I was a client. What sort of client…? Oh. I felt so ugly this morning. My hair was tangled, and my skin felt oddly clammy. The sheets were all twisted and a certain boy looked on in amusement as I merely got myself into more tangles.

"For God's sake, you'd think you were five." He said irritably, jerking me out of my mess.

I bent my head, clearly he was on edge. He passed me a white robe, my brain felt useless as my arms slid in the appropriate places.

"What time is it?" I asked quietly, looking around.

"Five to seven." He replied, and I felt like this was the beginning of a very long journey.

"I'd better get back to the dormitories before anybody…"

"Sure, sure. Go." He swept his arm in a gesture, inviting for me to go. He was a bit colder this morning, and I didn't dare touch him for being pushed away. Had all of that happened last night? No, some of it must've been a dream. The kissing, certainly. Getting stuck in the room was real, I decided as I walked through the darkness in the white robe.

That dream! He'd seen me in my _underwear_. I shuddered at that, and hoped it really had been a dream, at least that part. I tiptoed along, with the cloak over me, and slid into the boys' dormitories…and slid the cloak back where I found it. I crawled back into my own bed, but Ginny had one eye open ready for me.

"Where've you been?" she breathed.

"Library." I whispered back.

"Hmm."

I lay on my back, in my…green…silk…nightie. Oh God. Perhaps some of it hadn't been a dream after all. He'd been the one to pass it to me. A shudder ran down my back, which made me recount everything, from the key comment, to me looking at him entirely naked, although I hadn't looked at anything specific, obviously.

Had I actually told him I loved him?

Had he actually told me he loved _me_?

Well, the latter was possible, as he'd essentially taken it back, tactfully for Malfoy.

'Back to surnames I see' my mind observed.

'Oh hush. It's late.' My brain responded.

'It was late when you were talking to _Malfoy_.' My mind emphasised his last name.

'For your information, I was putting him right about Ron!"

"Yes, but who, honestly would you pick over him and Draco?" my mind cornered me. I went red, _again_.

"It doesn't matter, it was just a dream. I must've fallen asleep in the library." I hedged, but my so-called mind was onto that.

"Yes, but you woke up next to Draco Malfoy in the Room of Requirement didn't you? And you are wearing something green, silky and slightly revealing. Coincidence? I think not."

I fell silent. Well, I hadn't even been talking aloud, but my brain switched off, and I mused mindlessly. What I thought was a dream, a mirage, was as real as it seemed. Oh dear.

I prodded my brain into action and when I said goodbye to Ginny, I sat eating breakfast alone, poking at something, but because I'm not all that clever, I glanced up to the Slytherin table. I felt hot and prickly all over in my simple jeans and top. Ill. Lovesick? No, no, _definitely_ not.

I can't deny my feelings, you say? Actually, I can, so think again! I thought it would fade out just like Ron, and hopefully it will. No, it actually will. Starting now.

Draco Malfoy is a slimy, spineless git who just wants to have sex with any girl that's half developed, and he pretends he's nice, with those grey eyes, pretending to be all 'mysterious' but I know better than that, thank you so very much.

Nibbling on the middle of my lip, I scanned the bench for him, and I saw 'him' talking in a low voice to Blaise. Blaise looked up at me, and for a moment, I wondered if he knew anything. But then he just called out, "Granger! Where's the Weasel?"

"What's it to you?" I retorted angrily, though there was a wave of relief, he didn't know anything.

"Just want to know why you're not shagging the Weaselbee at this exact moment in time." D-Malfoy explained maliciously.

"Oh you know, he's back at home, and also I don't fancy him!"

I stalked off back to the Gryffindor common room, and within a couple of hours, I'd done my homework. I was jittery, and I felt seriously ill. It was, if I was correct, the 20th of December, a Saturday, and eleven. The room was empty as everyone else was revelling in the snow outside, which was more than ankle deep. Ugh, snow. I shuddered. It was magical at ten, pretty at thirteen, but at seventeen everything just…stopped. And anyway, how was I supposed to have fun whilst I had Malfoy on my case?

Okay, fine. _Draco_.

I found myself peering out of the window, just to see if he was out there. No. I wish I had that Marauder's Map. But sadly that was not to be.

Because I'm weird, and slightly obsessed with books, I was striding along to the library to see if I could find any spells on 'How to Find Someone' when you didn't know where they were. This made me seem like some crazed stalker anyway. Why was I doing this?

At least it was quietly, and I was utterly, utterly alone…

"Granger." Someone muttered. I stood up so fast that I lost sight for a second, and swayed. Blinking quickly, I saw Draco's face very close to mine. Remaining calm (On the outside, you understand, it was chaotic in my mind) I said coolly, "What d'you want?"

"Snape's dungeons. Now. You left several books there, and unfortunately, we have to go together, because of the 'dangers' in the current climate." He must have been referring to the fact that Lord Voldemort was indeed, still alive and Death Eaters were everywhere. I didn't mention I was in the presence of one. I simply pointed out, "I haven't left-"

"Look, there's something down there with your name on it, are you going to let it get stolen?"

At that I decided maybe I had left something down there after all, and silently followed him.

As we went down, he inquired, "Cat got your tongue?"

"Erm, just trying to remember what this important…er…_thing_ is, that has my name on it." I said slowly.

"Do you know what a metaphor is, Granger?" he asked carefully as I entered the dungeon.

"A **metaphor **is a figure of speech concisely expressed by an implied analogy between two objects or ideas, conveyed by the use of a word instead of anoth—"

That was when the wooden door was slammed and the lock….er, locked.

"So where is this object that has my name on it?"

No warm ups, no words, just a violent crushing of my mouth, and teeth biting my lips, the air was knocked out of me and he whispered things to me, but the door knob was pressing into my back and he was pressing into me, so I had to press back, but of course that was…well, need I say anymore?

In the end, I had to slide down onto the floor with a squeak. I pushed him away, and said surely, "I don't think that's actually a metaphor."

He laughed, and I grinned in spite of myself.

"Oh Granger, what are we going to do?"

"Keep it quiet?"

"Clearly." His mouth twisted into another grin, and I stuck my tongue out.

"Well, what about now?"

"That's what I meant." I was informed.

"Well….tell me!"

"Well, let me get this correct. I am the only Slytherin here; you are the only Gryffindor here, yes?"

I nodded.

"And of course there's the Room of Requirement. And the prefect bathrooms, obviously."

I had an idea about what was coming.

"So Hermione…we could do a lot of things, in the space of two weeks…a lot…"

My heart started thumping.

"Mhm?" I mumbled.

"So…we could do it…" he smirked…..seductively.

"I don't know how you…do what? What would we be doing exactly, or would it be a question of 'whom'?" I probed, before I said anything that would create a rebuke.

"Well, what would you like to do? Or have you got someone in mind?" he said.

"Well, obviously I'd _really_ like to 'have a bit of fun' with Harry but he's not here…" Draco's face changed to one of such horror and…and…_disgus_t at my false statement I just burst out laughing.

"It's a joke, Draco!" I smiled reassuringly, but then, asked seriously, "What did you mean about the previous statement?"

"Whatever you wanted it to mean." He responded.

My skin was growing warm and prickly again. I felt headachy and worried.

"The door's locked." Draco reminded me. I immediately felt better and asked, "Well, Mr Malfoy, what do you want to do?"

He paused for thought and then asked, "Do you trust me?"

I didn't know how to react to that, so I wandered around, looking at books on shelves.

"Are you scared?" he changed tack.

"No." I was surprised at my answer. Locked alone in a room with a boy…and not scared.

He nodded and turned away. I did also, and then something pierced me skin, shouting "BOO!".

I screamed.


	6. Fear Is The Enemy

(_A.N Thanks guys for all the reviews! You're all amazing, and if I get the chance I will let you get locked in a room with Draco ;D But I get to have him first! Also, because it's a snow day-yes, it's snowing in ENGLAND, oh my God! - I can update more, but I have just returned to school so I might be slower than usual. Thank you so very much though, especially to those who commented on the last chapter: LemonCheese, Dreadfuldelights, Darkness Approaches, and RomeoJuliet DracoHermione. You guys are brilliant. DSOTM94_)

I then proceeded to do the worst thing possible.

Dissolve into tears.

Oh God. No! No! What was I doing?! I should just poke him and laugh, but I'd been totally off guard and now I was actually crying because of something so trivial. But maybe it had been building up. Who knows? He thought I was laughing at first, and usually I would have, but I was reduced to liquid.

"Are you crying?" he asked in disbelief. I couldn't blame him. I coughed, and nodded my head. Why was I crying? Why? I felt so idiotic, so childish. But my silly snivelling didn't stop two arms enclosing me on the floor, and I just told him, "I'm so scared…of someone…finding out…I really like…y-this. I mean, you know, I just don't want anyone to bother us or anything…"

"They don't know…" Draco reassured me. "They can't see who we are. Not now, not ever. We can only be like this alone, if we're just locked in a room and nobody will be wondering where we are. Your ginger friend will be thinking of that blonde nut job he calls a girlfriend—" his tone was disgusted, but I couldn't help but splutter.

"And of course, the other tosser will be with him at his house probably. They think you'll be behaving yourself in the library, not being a bad girl with me. Hold on tight, Hermione, I want you to hold onto me. Even if this didn't work out, it'll surely teach us both something. I want you to remember something."

"Okay." I trembled, clinging onto his shoulder as he heaved me up. Oh, didn't I tell you? When he made me jump, I actually _fell_. Yes, I fell onto the floor. But now I'm standing on my own two feet again, and I know Draco is looking in my eyes, who's good looking, his eyes are tender, soft. Why does he look right through me? I know I can't deny my feelings, growing, strong. I keep trying to believe, it's a dream, it must be. But every time I see him, I feel like crying, "More!" and I want him to pull me closer, closer, closer, because for so much time, I've been feeling frozen, and I haven't even noticed. Until that night. I hope he stays with me, maybe we can help each other. But this is just my train of thought, and I can't always trust that. In fact, should I? Shouldn't I?_ I_ don't know!

Choking back on emotion, I keep on hoping that there _is_ hope for us, I'm trying to keep a grip on reality but I've already plunged into the realms of the surreal. So maybe I should just go along with it for a while, especially as Draco Malfoy actually just wiped a tear away with his thumb. Sighing heavily, he tells me, as if it is a rule, something I need to know to live, like it is part of my five-a-day, he warns me, "Fear is the enemy."

I exhaled, and acknowledged it, showed I understood. My dream of normality was slowly fading (Actually fading fast, _really_ fast. Going…going…yep, it's gone, ah fuck it!). So what the hell. We were locked in a room for the rest of the day and although it was no Room of Requirement, it would do. The situation wasn't necessarily hopeless. I remembered something one of my primary school teachers had warned us, when we were all worried about our nine year old SATs. "You're not a failure until you think you are."

True, that. I dabbed my wet face, pulled my fingers through my hair. "Ugh, I feel disgusting. What I don't get is why you chose me, not someone pretty."

"I think you've got a case of insecure-itis." He chortled. At my confused face, he explained, "You are feeling ugly, but actually you're looking pretty. Except that isn't a good enough word. How about beautiful? Have you noticed you get little goldish brown specks in your eyes when you're feeling really emotional about something?"

I blinked. "Seriously?"

"Do I not look serious?" he deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes dramatically and fiddled with a yellow ribbon I'd found in my jeans. It must've been wrapped around some chocolate from Honeydukes. Scribbling with a black quill, bored. We read books and stayed quiet, occasionally laughing or making a comment. Infrequently there would be five minute banter, and then it would start all over again. Draco behind Snape's desk, me leaning against it.

I wrote the words. 'I like Draco Malfoy'. Hm 'like' isn't really specific enough, but I wasn't about to stand on a desk and declare undying love. But what was important was the bond was broken. A Gryffindor and Slytherin were, I can safely say, friends, and possibly more. Was I a friend with benefits? But the big secret we shared had to remain unspoken. The sun was shining outside, but it wasn't getting warmer.

We'd have to practically sell the lies once lessons resumed, acting like we hated each other during the day and then be ourselves at night. We'd have to be immaculate in our planning and timing. I slid 'Uncovering the Darkness' back onto a shelf, and kneeled on the floor, looking up at Draco expectantly.

"That keen, are you?" he laughed. I looked at him coolly and ignored the statement.

"You said you're the only Slytherin here."

"Correct."

"Why was Blaise at breakfast?"

"He was going home later. I said goodbye just before I went to find you."

"Oh." I decided it was true enough. Well, I was locked in a room with Draco now anyway/ I was a bit distracted.

"Nothing can stop us, not now we're locked in!" I realised with joy.

"They're not going to catch us, not ever. We'll live in the Room of Requirement, and do as we please." Draco fantasised.

"If only." I sighed.

"Yes, if only." He lamented, then took on a more Draco-like demeanour.

"Right Granger, I want you to look at me. I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me what you're feeling right now."

His hands on my shoulders, those eyes, ashen yet glittering silver, piercing mine. We were so _close_…I was breathing hard, and finding it difficult to think. His skin was like ice, but it was fiery too. That mouth…so perfect. Yet as he looked down at me, it was slightly intimidating. Oh fine…_really_ intimidating.

"I…I…I feel…" I was incoherent and it was awful.

"Tell me." He said, moving his hands so that one was tangled in my hair, and the other resting on my neck. His mouth slightly open. The eyes following me, like a mind reader, I felt pressure, as if I was in a black hole and being squeezed, I couldn't breathe.

"I feel really different. That's good. I can try to pretend, I can try to forget, but it's driving me mad, I'm going out of my head…this is not enough."

"What are you saying?"

"I've lost my mind." I said truthfully. "Tell me, what do _you_ see?"

"I'm looking at a beautiful girl who's hated me for years. Her eyes are very clear, and she's nervous." A velvet voice captured me, and I shivered at it. "She's not sure what to do. She still feels divided, halfway between wrong and right. Her skin…"

His finger trailed the back of my neck, and the front of it, going right down to the neckline.

"Why are you wearing something that shows so much skin right until here…..on a winter's day?" he probed. I was beyond words as his chilling fingers traced my burning skin.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

I was all mixed up-feeling cornered and rushed, but I didn't really mind. What was _on_ my mind was the fact that someone was looking at me very hard, and his hands were slipping into the back pocket of my jeans. We were both riding some weird high, as he was a millimetre, just a lips' distance away from me. My mouth opened of it's own accord.

He was so passionate. It was as if there wasn't enough time in the world as we immersed ourselves in the kiss. I didn't know what to say, or do. He'd been my first kiss, and I didn't want to do anything wrong.

His lips gave up on mine for a moment, but I knew he was nowhere closed to finished. His mouth followed the line of my jaw, and then explored the length of my neck. Then both of his arms were constricted around my waist, and his lips found my ear.

"You can do better than this, Granger," he whispered huskily. "You're over thinking it."

I shivered as I felt his teeth graze my earlobe. It felt so good, so good…

"That's right," he murmured. "For once, just let yourself feel what you feel."

I wanted him to touch me, hold me, he'd seen me stripped down to the bare essentials…I wanted that to happen again…I wanted more to happen. I heard a creak outside and we fell silent. We gripped each other, and as the footsteps died away, for the first time, his hands dipped into my jeans, and before we could go any further the door knob rattled.

"Get in the cupboard!" Draco hissed at me and I was practically slung in, squashed in with books and a blanket thrown over me. I stayed as silent as ever as I heard Snape swoop in, and murmured voices. I couldn't tell words apart, there were just buzzes, for a very long time. Mutters and unheard words coursed through the air and I longed so much to come out of the cupboard. Not as easy as it sounded. There was a Silent spell on it, and it was locked. It was pitch dark and I had been forced into a cupboard by a boy. Just great. I could be here for hours.

It was hours. Actual hours. Two. One and a half. Okay, an hour! But still, that's how long Snape and Draco were talking. But when we found ourselves back in the Room, me sprawling mindlessly on the bed and looking at Draco on the sofa, I asked, "Last night? I mean, what was going through your mind, honestly?"

I was just subtly trying to find out what his motives had been, I mean, what did he really feel about me?

"Look," he said, exasperated. "I don't know what happened last night and I don't know why. It just did. Ok?"

I turned away, irritated.

"This…'relationship' we have…it is dangerous Hermione. I don't want either of us to get hurt." Draco said quietly. I shook my head and he walked over to me. "And I'm…I'm scared for you."

"_What_?" I shot up.

"I'm not the most innocent person, we both know that…but I've done, seen…been involved in things I'd rather you not know about."

"Don't you trust me?"

"It's rather they're not…nice things. I don't want you to have to think about them." He said, side stepping my question.

I sighed and flung myself down again.

"How, how are you?" ….did he actually stumble…did he just mess his sentence up? He certainly seemed flustered.

"Spectacular." I said sarcastically.

"You seem a bit put out by what's been happening lately." He remarked.

"I didn't _ask_ for this to happen, Draco!" I almost shouted, but it sounded strangled.

"But when it _did_ happen, you didn't ask for it to stop, either." He pointed out.

When it came down to the basics…he wanted…me. I dunno _why _but…one hand on my back, the other in my hair, we were all linked up as closely as possible.

We had each other. I knew I'd soon have to make the choice between what was right, and what was easy. But which was which?

Oh, it was wonderful those holidays. I knew Draco'd managed to keep me quiet after being so unsure, after the 'I love you's and decided to give this whole "What's your game plan?" thing another go. But he was so damn irresistible, which I accidentally said to him.

"It's funny. Usually I'm the one who uses girls to fulfil my needs. I didn't think I'd ever be on the other end of that situation."

I glared at him. "I thought that it would be the ideal solution to this insanity. I'm getting tired of dealing with all these romanticized notions I keep having of you," I grumbled in frustration. It was true. The dreams…well, that's private.

I was beginning to wonder why my thoughts were flowing so easily from my brain to my big fat mouth.

"Romanticized notions? That's another way of saying 'sexual fantasies'." Draco had me cornered.

"It is not!" I said defensively, going pink.

His eyebrows perked up in curiosity. "Sure, sure. And what kind of 'romantic notions' do you have of me?"

"None of your business. But I think I've watched too many films, read too many books. I'm not going to be another one of your victims. I'm not falling for all this romance that you've been trying to drown me in," I said defiantly.

"I thought that was the type of thing every girl dreamed of," he commented. "And it's not like you didn't respond in the dungeons."

"Has this really worked on all of your other victims? You can't tell me that you haven't had a girl or two figure your little game out."

He thought for a moment. "I've never actually had to go to such lengths for anyone else before. Girls usually fall right into my arms without a second thought," he quipped with the ever-present smirk.

"So I should feel special then?" I returned with sarcasm. He was enjoying this, I was sure. This was fun, and he didn't even seem offended this time. Probably because I didn't mention the sex thing.

"Yes." he replied with a slight air of arrogance.

I wondered what we would do about sex, actually. I mean…I didn't just say that. I did not, repeat, NOT consider having sex in any shape or form with Draco Malfoy.

Did I?

Oh God.

'Hermione,' I thought to myself despairingly, 'what have you got yourself into?'


	7. All About Us

_(Wow, you guys are brilliant! And another day of no school today - how lucky am I? I get to wreak havoc in J.K's world once more. And the snow is just heavier and heavier. I'm praying that I might get more than another day off, who knows? It never snows where I live. But it's a secret about what Draco and Snape were talking about *cough cough* or maybe you'll never find out…..no, you will eventually! When I've thought of something! *shifty eyes* Anyways, thank you SO much for the reviews, makes me think I'm not doing so bad for my first fanfic after all! Thank you to all the usuals, especially LemonCheese, RomeoJuliet DracoHermione and Darkness Approaches! You're just so frickin' amazing. Well, let's see what happens in this chapter then…)_

"So…you've stayed at ginger's house?" Draco called from the sofa. Oh great, were we in for a night talking about our past lovers? Well, in his case anyway. For me, well, the same can't be said. My brain was ringing all sorts of warning bells but I nodded once, grinning. "Yeah…pretty interesting really."

"So? What did you do with him?" Oh God. Typical boy. I shook my head, trying to think of something witty to say. But I, Hermione Granger am not well known for my funny comments, although if I can get a sarky one in there, by God I will!

"Well, when I stayed over just before fourth year, I was sleeping on the sofa, because they didn't have a spare bed and well, I was sleeping when Ron came down…" I paused for effect. Draco tensed excitedly, though he tried to remain composed. "And?" he encouraged.

"And…well, he…he…he…it's just…there was so much of it…it happened so fast…I didn't think he was capable of it. Not strong enough, you know?" I let Draco nod, and then carried on.

"Ron came over and he was going to put a spell on me I think, but his Sneakoscope woke me up. Then he folded the bed back into the sofa and disappeared into the night!" I said dramatically.

Draco was obviously disappointed with the anti-climax. "That's it?"

"Yep."

"No snogging?"

"Nah."

"No shagging?"

"I was four_teen_!"

"So was I." he says calmly. I blinked.

"You mean you first..."

"Yeah."

"When you were…"

"Correct."

A pause. "Well, if I'm scrupulously honest, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Where did you learn a word like—never mind. Anyway. How old were you?"

Uh oh. Quick, stall for time!

"How old was I when?"

"When you first had sex." He emphasised each word more heavily than the last. I fidgeted.

"Erm, you know, that's interesting actually. Because I haven't."

"You haven't?"

"Nope."

"Not at all?"

"Never."

"I was your first kiss, wasn't I?"

"You're good!" I laughed, and he came over, putting an arm around me, I unconsciously snuggled into him. "Poor Hermione, seduced unwittingly by Draco Malfoy." He teased.

I nudged him a little bit, and he nudged me back.

"So…we could do it. I mean, we don't have to, obviously."

Oh yay. I might be about to lose my virginity to, oh, you know….._Draco Malfoy_. That was all. Except I really didn't know what to do about that. I'd planned to have sex before marriage, if I ever did get married. But Draco…still, I couldn't voice these little hormonal worries (How did you do it? I mean, I knew what you did but did I just lie there? What would he say? Would we be able to speak? What if I said 'Is it in yet?')

Suggestion hung in the air. My black sleeve, which so happened to show my equally black bra had been slid down. The bare skin of my shoulder seemed incredibly fascinating somehow and I said conversationally, "Wow, so tonight might be the night. You nervous?"

He laughed. "Nah. This is the part I'm actually good at."

I asked him without thinking, "What must it be like not to be crippled by fear and self-loathing?"

He laughed again, not taking me seriously. "It's okay."

I went quiet. Did I want to do this yet? I mean, was it even possible this was happening yet? This was only the second night we'd been together…

"It'd be a fun, new experience. You have to go slowly at first, but that's fine." He said smoothly, his mouth near my neck. I felt the goose bumps. Back with my parents, we lived in a small town. I was living in a lonely world until Draco came along and gave it all a big stir. I wasn't even thinking straight. You could say I'd been going anywhere when I was wandering about at near-midnight. I could…have taken a train. The midnight train.

I wasn't exactly a singer in a smoky room. I didn't drink wine and I didn't use 'cheap' perfume. No street lights, or people. Or strangers looking down the boulevard. Don't stop believing. Believin'. Why did I keep thinking of songs? _Journey_, of all things. Go away, music. You're not the band I like the most anyway.

He kissed my skin. "I don't know what to do." I admitted. At a raised eyebrow, I corrected myself, "Okay, I know what you do but…I don't know. I want to…but maybe we should wait, or something. It's only been two days."

"We don't want this to end up as a one night stand." He agreed. I was a bit shocked, to put it mildly, but he explained, "You might hit me again."

I laughed, remembering third year.

"Yeah, I might."

"And then go on to tell your boys what happened and they would hunt me, find me, and most likely attempt to kill me." He continued.

"None of that will be necessary if we just wait. Make sure we properly 'like'," I sketched quotation marks in the air, "each other, and so on."

"Let's see if we can stick it out a few months. Let's see how we are then. How about…April?"

"That's ages away! Four months!" I protested, shocked at protesting. I still couldn't believe this all.

He laughed, still such a strange sound to hear. "I'll let you know when I think we should do the deed. Will you dare? I mean, it's sex isn't it?"

"Yes?" I said in a questioning tone.

"Well, this is sex we're talking about. You know, _sex_. With genitals and everything!"

"I'm sure I'll manage." I said in a sarky tone.

"Will you get a book on it first?" he asked so innocently that I knew he was up to no good.

"No." I said firmly. "No, I will not."

"No, you won't." Draco said seriously.

I nodded, happy with this statement.

"You'll get more than one, won't you?"

I gaped at him. "Oh no you did _not_ just say that!"

He laughed. "Well, it's in your character to research a subject…ah…_thoroughly…_so you understand the theory before you try putting it into practice."

"You just crossed the line!"

"Do I look…" he deadpanned, "like I _care_?"

"Well no, but-"

"Do I look bothered?"

"Well, no, but..." I trailed off.

"Look. At my face." He said. I obeyed. There was no emotion.

"Do I actually look like I am in _any_ way bothered by your statement?"

"No." I sighed. I wanted to ask him if he'd been watching Catherine Tate, but chances were he hadn't, after all this _was_ Draco, and the phrases were slightly altered anyway.

"That's because I'm not."

"Not surprised."

"You're not one for putting up much of a fight, are you?" he taunted.

"Did you want me to?"

"Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, you would be more interesting if you were more passionate."

"Oh? So I'm boring?" my eyes narrowed. Of course, he wasn't at all intimidated.

"You can be."

"I hate you, Draco Malfoy."

"That's good. Hate is a passionate emotion."

I couldn't help grinning then. It was difficult not to be charmed by Draco, if you gave him the chance.

"You're just impossible, you know that?" I teased.

"My _life_ is impossible." He sighed.

"What d'you mean?" I asked, concerned.

"Do you know what it's like to be ordered to take someone's life, to spare your own?" he asked abruptly.

"_No_! Who've you been asked to kill? Draco, tell me now, maybe I can help-"

He was in stitches.

"_Why are you laughing_?"

"It was a_ joke_, Granger." He rolled his eyes.

"Hmm." I eyed him carefully.

"I was joking, seriously." His fingers caught my chin.

"You were joking, really? You better have been." I warned.

He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"I was joking. Please don't kill me."

I sighed. "I couldn't bear it if some like that happened. If someone died."

A twist of pain gripped his face.

"I just wish everything was back to normal." He whispered, vulnerable for once, and I felt like our roles were reversed as I murmured, "Oh me too, Draco. Me too. But Harry will get rid of…Voldemort, and we'll be safe again…" too quiet for him to hear.

"We should run away." He joked. I considered that for a moment.

"That would be fun. I've decided something."

"What?" he asked softly.

"After the war I'm going to live."

"You're already alive. How do you know there's going to be a war?"

"No, I mean, after all this tension, after Voldemort, because there is going to be some that happens. It's obvious."

"Go on then." He said, as I wondered about getting a bath.

"I want to travel, Paris and New York. I want to see how the Dutch wizard world is as well." I told him, eyes closed, completely and utterly relaxed.

"Mhm?"

"I might write a book about it. Take lots of photos; see all the tulips in Alkmaar, canals in Amsterdam." I rested my head on his shoulder, and his head on mine.

"That sounds romantic." I could hear him smile.

"Do you think I'm being too extravagant?" I asked, worried.

"No," he assured me. " I've been thinking too."

"Oh? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that we need to move this along a little. You know, all the stages."

"Stages?"

"Oh yes, there are stages." He said seriously.

"Enlighten me." I smiled, trailing his arm with a finger.

"Stage one, never let your girlfriend twist you around her little finger."

I noticed he'd used the term 'girlfriend' for the first time. I tried to ignore it and said, "Very funny."

"Well yes, I am a stand up comedian by night, didn't you know?" he smirked without the malice.

"Then explain how I'm not in stitches right now." I challenged him.

"You shower _naked_?" his tone was of serious disgust.

"I do _not_-" I begun to say and then went red. "That wasn't funny!"

"Yes it was." He chortled.

I gave up, and laughed with him.

"Right," Draco said purposefully, "I think, I shall get a bath now."

"Not if I get there first!" I grinned and leapt across the bed. He knocked that bit at the back of my knees and I went to the floor, but I grabbed his legs and he stumbled. I managed to pull him down and drag him into a kiss, fiddling with his jeans and when he was successfully silent, I stared into his eyes and slid with dignity into the bathroom, pulled my clothes off in record time and jumped into the swimming pool bath.

"You're unbelievable!" he complained.

"Sorry Malfoy, I can't hear you, I'm too busy enjoying my bath!" I called, giggling.

He growled. I laughed. "The water really is very nice you know."

I hummed a little riff, "I can be, all you need, won't you please, stay with me?" but quiet so Draco would not mock me for secretly liking music that two girl that had had a fake lesbian image had produced.

I got through Malchik Gay undetected, and Not Gonna Get Us, and took a deep breath to get started on All The Things She Said, but he opened the door suddenly, making me shriek.

"You didn't expect to get away with that did you?" he asked, shutting the door carefully behind me.

I cannot tell you how much I was grateful for bubbles right then. I sank a little lower.

"What are you _doing_?"

"What does it look like Granger?" he retorted, undoing one infuriating button of his shirt at a time.

"I'm _busy_!"

"So am I." he agreed, sliding the shirt off, and removing his shoes. After the socks, there would only be trousers and then...and then…and then…oh God.

I wanted to get out of the bath, or at least do something to distract myself, like shampoo my hair, but if I so much as moved my arms, I might accidentally reveal something. Though he seemed perfectly calm. I asked again, "What are you doing?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? You're not stupid."

'Aren't I?"' I asked myself, but he kept his boxers on and merely put on a robe. Then he went out without another word.

"Oh." I mumbled, as the water cooled around me. I got to work, and soon I was dried off.

I returned in a purple nightie this time.

"Purple?" Draco said.

"What? I like purple," I said back.

"I don't, change it to green," he said.

"How cliché," I retorted, rolling my eyes.

"I happen to like green, it has nothing to do with which house I am in." he lied.

"Green won't do," I complained. I cocked my head the other way, and changed the nightie to red.

"No way! Now that's cliché!" he yelled, pointing at it. I laughed so hard, I had trouble standing up.

"I happen to like red, it has nothing to do with which house I'm in." I altered his sentence to suit me.

"Red won't do." He replied.

"Okay purple's out, I don't like green, you hate red, what colour is one of your preferences, _apart from green_?"

He rolled his eyes. "I suppose…blue would be acceptable."

"Ravenclaw?"

"You're clever, aren't you?"

"I suppose…" I mumbled, and waved my wand so the purple became a deep blue.

"Does this suit your taste?"

"It'll do." He said, then seeing my face reminded me he was joking.

I had a lot of thinking to do whilst Draco was in the bathroom. Did I like him? Yes. Did he like me? I hoped so. How long had it been? Two days, counting today. And yesterday wasn't even a proper day. Alright, a whole day and two nights, at a stretch.

"So, we'll rise up, won't stop, and it's all about, all about, it's all about us!" I sang a little too loudly.

"I know I've not been the most 'nice' person in the world over the past few years but torturing me with your 'singing' is a bit over the top, don't you think?" Draco called.

I was so offended I strode up, shoved the door wide open and said, "That_ happens _to be one of my favourite songs!" I said strongly, ignoring the fact my sort-of-boyfriend was naked in a bath and this looked like a very suggestive situation about to unfold.

"Look, I've had a very long hard day—"

And the innuendos start right about here, I should think. I replied, "Well, you still shouldn't make fun of the music I like! I know it might be Muggle music and that-"

"Yulia Volkova and Lena Katina had a stage act in which they were in love with each other and created controversial music videos and so on, it's not the damn act I have a problem with, and it's your singing!" he said impatiently.

My face to him, was priceless. I managed to choke out, "You know?"

"Hermione, they were so controversial that even the wizarding world heard about them." He said patiently, and I kept on staring.

"Wow." I mumbled. "You, you knew?"

"And still do. Though I have never listened to their songs, and I fear you may have just ruined their career for ever."

"Oh shut up." I said, again. I slammed out, listening to him chortling.

I over reacted a little bit, I admitted that to him, and he teased me about how badly I sung, but then after a comfortable silence, he turned to me and said, "So…"

I dearly would have loved to say "So what?" but instead I just looked. He kissed me full on the mouth, and I looked at him.

"What made you kiss me the first time?"

He considered that for a moment and with a laugh, said, "I don't know the answer to that myself, but don't worry, there aren't any regrets."

Then we just pressed close to each other, and didn't have sex.

And as far as I was concerned, that would be how it remained, at least, for now. I didn't want to get all mature or anything, this was the first time I'd ever been in a proper relationship. No sex. Not for now anyway. And even if it was in a story, which would be ridiculous, then it certainly wouldn't be explicit. I sighed to myself, and whispered to Draco, "Have you ever wondered, have you ever asked yourself, 'Am I really here, is all this real?'"

He turned over, and looked at me seriously. "You. Are mental. Of course this is real! It's not like there's a series of _books_, and _films_, one released this past month on that DVD Muggle thing, with more in production or something. And it's not exactly like there's a bunch of people who are dissatisfied with the _plotline_, and decided that some relationships should be amended to _their own liking_! That would be completely mental. People messing about with us without our _consent_!"

I lay awake thinking for a while, about how funny it would be, if all of that would be really true.

'Of course it isn't though' I thought, 'that would just be weird.'

_(Teehee! See what I did there, hey? –reviewers get annoyed here and unamused and go to review something more worthy of their time-oh never mind! Anyway, I am so proud of myself because of this, because it's pretty long, but anyway, bad news all, I'm afraid school is scheduled open for tomorrow unless there's an avalanche or something, so I will be less frequent, I'm afraid. Thanks to the usuals, and keep reviewing!)_


	8. Why Snow Can Irritate

_(Hey, it's me again! Went back to school yesterday and it was minus TWELVE, I kid you not. But the good news is school is cancelled today, again! Thanks to all those lovely reviewers who are keeping me sane, I'll try and update whenever I can! DSOTM94)_

Christmas Eve morning and I woke up all alone in Gryffindor tower. I shuddered at the cold, and tried to worm my way back into bed, although I had a feeling something was going to disturb me soon, very soon…

_Tap, tap, tap_.

Not **that** soon! Bloody hell, as Ron would say. Stop with the tapping!

Wait, hang on, maybe I'm the spawn of the devil in pyjamas and have the third eye. No, what is it….second sight. I can predict the future!

No, no I can't. I thought very hard about the tapping going away but it just gave me a very bad headache.

Eventually I slithered out of my cave and my heart froze when I opened the window and the grand looking owl swooped in haughtily, and I took the letter.

'Hermione,

I know you will be feeling quite sour because I'm woken you up so early, but I want to show you something. I also know you well enough that you're thinking of innuendos right now, and now you're embarrassed I've noticed that, and you're trying to think of a cutting reply, but spare me. I know it is early but soon we are both going to be drowned in festive cheer, and quite frankly, I am not looking forward to that. I'm not attempting to write you a love letter here, but please, come and meet me just by the front door as soon as humanly possibly. And make sure you're alone. So. The front door. Dress warm, it tends to get quite cold around this time of year.

Draco.'

I read it carefully, and scribbled a reply. 'I'm on my way.'

Pulling on a tshirt, fleece, jeans and trainers, I padded silently down, and everything was still. Even the birds hadn't woken up yet.

He was standing there waiting for me. "You came." He took my hand and took a proper look at me. "A fleece? Is that all?"

"Well, I-"

"Honestly, Granger." He sighed at me, but smiled. Then cocked his head sideways.

"What?"

"You're cold aren't you?"

"How can you tell?" I asked sarcastically, shivering violently.

His eyes darted to my chest. I looked down and you could clearly see…

"Oh my god!" I jumped, and crossed my arms over my chest, stamping about to get warm, and avoid Draco's wandering eye, and laughing mouth.

"You actually _saw_-" I stuttered.

"You know, I don't see why you're so embarrassed. They were very nice!"

"'Nice'? They were…'nice'. I mean, that-that's it? I mean, mittens, are 'nice'." I shivered, prattling, not making any sense.

"Okay, rock, hard place, _me_." Draco demonstrated, emphasising it, making me laugh.

Then he took my hand, and we saw dawns grey fingers infiltrate the night, with pink shimmers showing the beginning of the sun.

I couldn't speak. Seeing the sun rise on Christmas Eve is something else, especially when you're doing it with a Slytherin.

Watching it with him, not actually doing 'it'. Of course. Great, now I'm all awkward. It's so cold! I'm shivering loads, my teeth are biting down on my tongue and it really hurts.

"For fuck's sake." He sighs, and takes off his coat and drapes it around my shoulders. I put my arms in the sleeves that are too big for me. It's got a nice smell. I snuggle into it and close my eyes. I want to hum a song, but it would probably seem a bit strange to Draco, if not downright mental. I mean, his comments about my 'Are we really here, is this really happening?' question was, well, you know! So now I'm in a series of books and films? Riiiight. That's likely. Or not!

I smiled to myself and looked up at Draco, whose mind was on something else, clearly. I dared lean my head on his shoulder, and a tear slipped down my cheek. I blinked in shock. Didn't he realised he had two Hermiones at his side? He made no movement to show he did. There was the Hermione I was with Draco, and then the every day one. Just like he was split in two as well. I sighed happily, looking at the beautiful clouds skitter across the sky.

"Tell me what you're thinking." I whispered.

"I'm thinking that Hermione Granger is a very nosy little-_ow_! Okay, I'm thinking how cold it is and how I could warm you-ok! _Ok_! Just don't _ever_ do that to me again! It hurts, you know. I am thinking about what it's like to see the sun rise…with company for once. It's different, and I like it. What about you?"

"I…I don't know." I mumbled, going red.

"Are you thinking about me?"

"I am." I said honestly.

"You're biting again."

I stopped nibbling on my lip. His quirked up into a smile. "You're wondering what it's like to have sex with me aren't you?"

My jaw gaped open. "_NO_!"

"Oh but you are." He laughed.

"Oh, but I'm not."

"Oh but you are."

"Oh no I'm not."

"Oh _yes_ you are!

"_Oh_ no I'm not!"

"_Oh_ yes you are!"

"He's behind you!" is another thing I wanted to say but that would not be…good.

"I was not repeat, _**not**_, thinking about what it would be like to have sex with you." I emphasised.

Then his hands, so warm, slipped around me, down into my jeans. "Why the red underwear?" he asked huskily. "It's got black lace on it."

"First…thing…I found…" I said heavily.

His hands slid upwards and up my top, circled my tummy and went up. I didn't try to slap him away. His hands played with the straps and I was immobile.

"You're not thinking of sex right now?"

"No…" I breathed, and kissed him. My heart had stopped but at the same time it was thumping like a hummingbirds'. He detached my hands from his neck, and I looked on, hurt.

"First off, you're strangling me, though finally there's some life in you. Also, anyone could see us. Remember our decision?"

I nodded; don't tell anyone until we were sure of our 'relationship'. Shame, though.

I had an idea though. "Let's get breakfast at separate tables in the hall, and then we can go and look at the snow."

"Is Hermione going to play in the snow?" his tone was sarky.

"Hey, for your information I can throw a pretty damn good snowball so watch it!" I pointed a playful finger at him.

When we were in the snow, it was perfectly safe because all the Ravenclaws were revising, and the little Hufflepuff kids were playing hide and seek. "Hide and seek!" I scoffed. "How childish!"

He shook his head at me, I had sculpted a snowman and igloo without magic, and I had snowballs at the ready. I chucked one in his general direction but of course, he blocked it with a lazy flick of his wand.

"Hey! No magic allowed!" I scolded, and when he looked blankly at me, I said softly, "I just want to try something. Stay still."

I circled him, wondering where to start. I instructed him to close his eyes and he must have thought I was going to kiss his neck or something, but actually, I got a running start and jumped onto his back, stuffing snow down his neck.

That made him jump! "Hermione Granger, you did not just do that!" he yelled, trying to swing me off, but I clung on with a vice like grip, laughing like mad.

I stuffed as much ice and snow down his neck as possible before he managed to swing me off, and I landed mutely in a snowdrift. I remained silent in a twisted position, but Christ, it was freezing!

"Granger?"

I didn't say anything.

"I know that didn't hurt, you're messing around, so sit up. That snow isn't the warmest stuff in the world, in case you hadn't noticed."

I took his point and tried to get up, but I was shivering so much I couldn't work my legs properly. "I'm t-t-t-too c-c-c-cold."

"Get my hand." He ordered and I managed to wrap my fingers around it as he yanked me up, too fast for my liking.

"H-h-h-h" I couldn't get my words out coherently.

"We should take you to Madam Pomfrey." He shook his head at me, soaking wet from the scuffle.

"N-n-n-n-"

"What do you expect me to do? Sort you out myself?" his tone was exasperated but turned amused when I nodded.

I stumbled on the steps to he knocked my legs so I ended up in his arms.

He tried to keep me laughing, as I was nearly crying from the cold now, so he said in a business like tone (and like an air hostess, although obviously he wouldn't know that) "Welcome aboard the Draco Malfoy flight. The duration will be five minutes exactly. Your exits are here, here and here. Do remember, your nearest exit _may_ be behind you. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight." He began to move swiftly to the seventh floor, and took us inside a giant bathroom.

"B-b-b-" I stuttered.

"I_ know_ you can't plunge someone in a bath right away when they're practically got hypothermia, Granger, but we might as well be prepared." He interrupted me. I sighed at the delicious warmth, and with numb fingers I tried to slip off his coat, but they couldn't work.

"You are so endearing, Granger,"

"I-I-I-I-I-"

"Spit it out, girl!"

"I'm a what?"

"Endearing. Take it as a compliment." He smiled as he removed the coat, and my dripping fleece. He tutted at the tshirt I had underneath, and patiently unpicked my laces on my Converse. Then he started to undo my jeans but I started to protest.

"Oh, stop moaning, Hermione. It's a fact that people warm up better when they get out of their clothes. Don't you _like_ having ten toes?" he said irritably and I let him slide off my soaking wet jeans. Then my top. I managed to signal he could go now, but I couldn't actually undo the hook of my bra, which was humiliating, so he told me to turn around and he carefully snapped it off in a second. I had a towel wrapped around me then, and I managed to take my knickers off myself, without him seeing anything. Then he let me huddle into him as the steam rose all around the bath. I stopped shuddering violently after a while, and even the little spasms after that faded quickly enough.

"Right." He said purposefully, pressing a hand to the bit just above my towel, "I think you can get in now."

He promised not to look (Although as it _was_ Draco, I did get in very very fast) and I got in. I sighed happily and closed my eyes blissfully, taking it in for a while, the wonderful clear water, the warmth, no bubbles in the way, the smell-

Wait, hang on.

_Clear_ water.

No _bubbles_.

Oh…oh fuck.

Draco Malfoy had now officially seen me naked.

_(How is Hermione going to deal with this? I don't know! All I know is its lunchtime and I'm still in my pjs in bed! Listening to t.A.T.u of course! Hahaha. Thanks for the reviews keeping me alive, the roads are so perilous so no school at all! Wahey! Thanks again to 'the usuals' although you are not usual, you are unusual, or as Draco says, 'Completely mental'. ;D The next chapter is under way so I'll get it up sooon! DSOTM94)_


	9. Conflict Between Hermiones

My eyes didn't open slowly, to look at Draco smirking, then to look down slowly, look up slowly again, do a few double takes and then freak out. I just snapped my eyes open right away, pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around me.

"Oh come on, don't spoil it! I was enjoying what I was seeing there!" he complained, half jokingly. I replied stiffly (Hahahahahahahhahaha NO) "Well, if you'd told me beforehand then I wouldn't mind!"

"You should've noticed there were no bubbles in the first place!" he pointed out.

I didn't reply to this. "You were…enjoying it?" I asked sarcastically. "Where were your hands?"

"Are you suggesting that-"

"Yes, yes I am." I said curtly, tipping in some bubble bath.

"Well, I wasn't doing that." He confirmed. He had a calm look on his face, of course. I bobbed down.

My fingers were still bloody numb. I hissed in irritation and flexed them. He sighed. "Come here."

I swam over and let him roll up his sleeves and smother me in soap. I closed my eyes as I leaned my back against the back of the giant bath so he couldn't…er…see anything. Not very much anyway. It was just a gentle touch here, a rinse there.

He allowed me to dry myself as my fingers were flexible enough by then, and I pulled on a denim skirt, tights and a top as the room changed helpfully. I had a think and then slipped a very nice dress over the bed.

"What do you want, Draco?" I asked as he eyed me.

"Wild sex and vodka on tap."

"Sorry, none of that. Got some chocolate buttons and apple juice though." I said casually, looking at a table.

"Is that your dress for tonight?"

"No, I drape expensive evening dresses on my bed for no reason whatsoever all the time."

"Sarcasm becomes you, Granger."

"Non-existence becomes _you_, Malfoy." I retorted.

"Oh, it's Malfoy again?"

"It goes back and forth in concurrence with my level of tolerance." I said smoothly, stroking the dress.

"What about when I do this?"

"Your 'charming' smile does nothing to me, Draco. Go find Pansy."

"Draco..." he said smugly.

"Malfoy."

"You can't change it after you've said it."

"Just did."

"... Just _one_ kiss!"

"No! Christ, Malfoy, I thought we'd put that to bed." I sighed, wanting to just get on with this stupid Christmas Eve ball or something in the hall.

"I'd rather _you_ put _me_ to bed."

"Only if you co-operate with where I place the pillows."

"Where is that?"

"Over your mouth and nose."

"Couldn't you place yourself over my mouth and nose?"

"I'm not a pillow."

"You _could_ be my pillow. Your stomach looks lovely and soft."

"... I'm about to hex you... Wait, are you saying I have a fat stomach?! Because that is not a safe thing to say to a woman who is about to don a tight dress and walk into a crowded ballroom full of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs with their _perfect-looking_ spouses and—"

"_Granger_. I said nothing about fat. I said soft. Flat and soft." I stayed quiet.

"Granger?"

"What?"

"I really did mean your stomach looks soft in a good way."

"Whatever. Can you pass me that — Oi! Hands off my stomach!"

"I'm just proving that I was telling the truth!"

"Well, that's pointless; I can't feel what _your_ hand feels!"

"But I can! And that's what matters!"

"Stop grinning. Pass me that brush."

"Useless with that hair. Ow! I _meant_ it's too difficult for you to do yourself. Let me."

"I can do it just fine. I bet you don't even know how to use a brush. It's terribly _Muggle_."

"I thought we'd been through this—"

"Not the best start." I said, thinking about how we'd argued.

"But _a_ start. Come on, turn around, I'll brush out your hair."

"... Eee! That tickles!"

"You love it – shall I blow on your neck as well?"

"Right, give me that brush and sod off out of my room! Go into _that_ one!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No, I've not finished my chocolate buttons. Or seducing you."

"You'll be waiting a long time. And some of that time, I won't even be here. I have to leave in fifteen minutes. We both do."

"There's a lot that can be done in fifteen minutes if you're willing to bend over—"

"You are _disgusting_. And fifteen minutes is not much to boast about for a self-professed 'stallion', by the way. Oh hell! Fifteen minutes! Men have it easy when it comes to dressing up. I have to do my make-up and my hair, and... Oh, shite, I have to charm the run out of those tights. And I forgot to rehearse that hair charm! Shit! And—"

"Granger, calm down, you could put that dress on now and go just as you are, and you'd be perfect. Here, give me the brush, and I'll do your hair while you do the charm on your tights. I can help you put them on if you—"

"No."

"Your loss. So... who are you going with?"

"McLaggen."

"Oh, yes, _him. _Your one and only_."_

"He is _not_ my one and only."

"Oh, please."

"Why shouldn't we? He's erm….funny, and I'll be getting my fill of champagne."

"I bet you are getting your... _fill_."

"You have the most revolting capacity for filthy euphemisms I have ever come across."

"I could come acr—"

"Malfoy!"

"I love that frown when you've got your hands on your hips at the same time. Of course, the frown being visible is imperative to its effectiveness, so it rather loses some of its effect when you have your back to me. And, _of course_, I'd rather _my_ hands were on your hips instead of yours. There, your hair is brushed."

"Yeah, but your hand is still in it."

"Yeah..."

"Draco..."

"Just one, Hermione..."

"One kiss."

"Is that an acquiescent silence?"

"Draco, I..." I stopped. This was all too surreal. Sometimes I couldn't help snapping back into everyday Hermione.

"So I'm Draco at the moment... Well, that's something at least."

"... I- SHITE!"

"Aw, merde, Granger! My ears!"

"Ten minutes left! Oh, and I haven't done all my make-up!"

"Here, I know a charm."

"No, wait! I... wow... that's amazing. Where the hell did you learn a make-up charm? Is there something you haven't told me? You're not Draco Malfoy, Slytherin slash boyfriend, but man slash woman instead are you?" I said wittily.

"I had to be able to get Pansy presentable quickly when the prefects were patrolling, and she and I were in an alcove fu—"

"I get it! Too much information."

"Jealous?"

"Revolted."

"Jealous, then."

"Hand me my shoes."

"Sit down on your bed."

"I'm not shagging you, Draco. Malfoy." I said firmly.

"Well, Hermione. _Granger_. I was about to put your shoes on for you."

"I need to put my dress on first."

"Go ahead."

"Turn around and close your eyes while I take my skirt off."

"I'll close my eyes and not turn around."

"_Fine_. But you peek, you die. And the chocolate buttons get it."

"I wish _I _could get it."

"Stop doing that perverted growling sound."

"You're only afraid that you'll jump me if I keep doing it. Alright, my eyes are closed... ohhhh... _Granger_, do girls not realise how much that move drives men crazy?"

"What move?"

"The Two-Shake Hip Shimmy."

"The _what_? MALFOY! I told you to keep your eyes shut! Turn around!"

"Alright, alright! Nice knickers though. Is that black lace?"

"Yes. Like you mentioned before. Lace you should not have seen. You're a perver—"

"Lace! Black lace!"

"Yes. Ahem. My, er... other knickers are in the wash... Why am I explaining myself to you! Get out!"

"No need, I've seen everything now. I'd rather _touch_ everything, but even I have boundaries. Unless you give me permission..."

"No!"

"... That dress is beautiful... you are. Beautiful, I mean. Hermione."

"... Thanks. Draco, what are you doing?"

"The back of your necklace is snagged in your hair."

"Ow."

"Sorry, but its right at the back of your neck."

"Draco..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Am I too close?"

"Well, seeing as you un-snagged the necklace, it's inexplicable why you are currently standing four inches from my face. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You know why, Granger."

"Draco... don't look at me like that."

"Why not?"

"_Draco_..."

"You would only be so uncomfortable with me looking at you like this if you had something to hide."

"That is absolute rubbish—"

"And yet, you haven't noticed you're five minutes late. And you haven't moved away. And you keep calling me Draco."

"I haven't time for this. I have to go—Draco! Take your arm away from my waist! If someone sees-"

"One kiss."

"I'm no one's conquest, Malfoy. I have no interest in being your thrill at the end of a chase." I joked; he still knew I liked him.

"I have no interest in you _being_ my thrill at the end of a chase. I have an interest in you being my many, _many_ thrills at the end of a very long chase. Five years, Granger. Five years hasn't convinced you?"

"The euphemisms, looking at me in the bath… it's certainly hard to resist that."

"Hermione... your cheeks are so soft... facial cheeks obviously."

"See? Constant euphemi—mmmf... Mmm..."

"... Gods... Granger... that was... worth waiting for. When was the last time we kissed?"

"Draco..."

"Mmm."

"You have your serious face on. It's unnerving."

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?"

"I'm late."

"But all we did was kiss!"

"For the _ball_. Harry will be waiting."

"Right, that's it; I'm not waiting if you're going out with McLaggen tonight."

"Mmmf! Mmm..."

"Keep that kiss in mind when you're dancing with him tonight. I'll be in here waiting for my next. Off you go."

"Oof!"

"Doorway is a few inches to your left there, Granger."

"Right. Door. Yeah... oof!"

"Another inch to the left, Granger."

"Oh... ha! Of course. I... Goodnight, Draco." I smiled, and I left.


	10. Banter

"Time for my fourth kiss." He murmured on Christmas day.

"No. More sleep."

"Come now, Granger."

"Women can't just do that on command, you know."

"Really? And here I was thinking my powers of seduction were without limit." He teased. I smiled.

"If there was a man capable of that, men would die out, because women would only go to him."

"What about babies?" he asked.

"Bit early for that, don't you think?" I replied.

"Very droll. I suppose you're right though, since we are yet to have our fourth."

"Baby?" I mumbled, blinking my eyes open.

"Kiss. We did cuddle all night though."

"Don't believe the rumours – that can't get you pregnant. Just like the rumour that you can't get pregnant if you do it on a boat – completely false."

"Who on earth would believe that?"

"Morons. That's why I felt I should clarify the truth for you."

"Hilarious, you. Have you seen my wand?"

"I'm not ready for that yet." I laughed.

"You're really on a roll today, aren't you?" he grinned at me.

"As I said, I'm not quite ready for that." I repeated.

"Oh, god, I've rubbed off on you haven't I?"

"I certainly hope not; I haven't given you permission." I was shaking with laughter/

"Bloody hell! I've possessed you! Hermione! Come back!"

"Stop shaking me, Draco!"

"I will if you give me my fourth."

"Fourth..."

"Don't play with me."

"Make up your mind! First you _ask_ me to kiss you, then you say don't..." I said, annoyed.

"Stop it, Hermione! You're freaking me out! _I'm_ the smart arse! _I'm_ the innuendo master!"

"I'm just as good at it as you, I just happen to possess more decorum and social grace."

"We have privacy at the moment, so please, by all means behave as disgracefully as you please... Hermione? Er... Granger? Why are you staring at me like th— MMMF!"

"Disgraceful enough for you, Draco? I'll take that panting as a 'yes'. Shall I kiss you again?" I said playfully.

"... I..."

"I just shut you up again! That's twice in twenty four hours! If I'd known that kissing was the most effective way of shutting you up, I'd have done it years ago. Merry Christmas."

"Are you going to kiss me again, or should I start talking a lot?"

"No, you don't need to trick me into it anymore."

"Mmm... Granger— Mmm... Hermione, wait."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, you say you just spent five years trying to seduce me, and then as soon as I'm throwing myself at you, you want to chat!"

"I just... I need to know."

"Need to know what?"

"Why you're kissing me."

"Well, you did _ask_ me to..."

"Because, I know when I kiss you, I'm full of jokes and innuendo and teasing, but Hermione... When I'm kissing you, Hermione, I mean it. Really... _mean_ it."

I stayed silent, thinking…

"Granger?"

"I know you do... I heard you."

"Heard me what? It was just a tiny one, Hermione – "

"Draco! _Disgusting!_ I _meant_ that I heard you last night when I was drifting off."

"Oh... I thought you missed that."

"Did you mean it?"

"Tell me what you heard."

"You _know_ what I heard. You're being silly."

"No, I'm being adorable."

"Yes, you are."

"Hermione, why do you want me to repeat what I said?"

"Rampant curiosity?"

"Big eyes don't let you get away with everything, you know. Hermione, I'm being serious."

"Which is why I'm currently terrified. Okay, okay, don't _glare_."

"You're cheeky in the morning."

"Well, if you will insist on removing my knickers 'to make me more comfortable'." I teased, his arm around me, warm and protective.

"Okay, so you're two types of cheeky this morning. One is more pleasant than the other. Granger, tell me why. What will your response be if I repeat what I said last night?"

"It might... resemble what you said."

"... Why, all of a sudden?"

"I'm... I'm adept at academics, not..."

"Being emotional?"

"Of course I'm bloody emotional! I'm just not adept at _dealing_ with... _feelings_!"

"You just shuddered when you said the word 'feelings'. Well, I'll deal with them for you if you give them to me."

"... That was... bizarrely poetic. Do you understand the words you just said?"

"Not really, but they sounded bloody brilliant, didn't they?"

"Yeah..."

"... You've never done anything like that before. You've never stroked my cheek... or my hair."

"Say it again, Draco. Say what you said last night."

"I really like you. A lot."

I thought about it some more as he shot me a questioning look. I replied, "All those years?"

"Most of them."

"Why?"

"There's no why. It just is. I couldn't stop it if I tried."

"_Did_ you try?"

"At first, of course. What'd you expect?"

"Why didn't you keep trying?"

"I didn't want to."

"You didn't..."

"No..."

"Why?"

"I enjoy liking you. Even if you were to never reciprocate, and even if I had to deal with the constant pain of knowing you never would, I would still not want to give up loving you. MMMF!"

"Mmm. Draco... I lo—"

"Don't."

"What?"

"Are you going to mean the next words out of your mouth? Or will they be a result of my outrageous kissing skills?"

"They will be partly due to the latter, but mostly the former."

"Well...That's good enough for me. Say them."

"I love you."

"... Bloody hell, I didn't think I could love you _more_, but now you've said it to _me_..."

"It's just because I've _fed_ your ego some _haute cuisine_."

"What ego? Stop laughing."

"I can't! Ow! Don't tickle there!"

"Why not? What kind of tickle is it when I tickle you there? Is it a normal tickle or a naughty tickle? Oh! Judging by _that_ noise, it's very much a naughty tickle! Nrrgh! Ooh, bloody hell, Granger, that's foul play! But by all means, keep being foul!"

"It's payback! Or reward, whichever. Just keep tickling and kiss me, you perverted, egotistical, _delicious_ perv, you!" I nearly screamed.

"Gladly, my wanton little strumpet. Wh— Hermione! Come back! I was joking! I didn't mean it, honestly!"

"I know that, you silly boy, I'm going to have a bath. Why, may I ask, aren't you following me?"

"Oh... Ohhhh! Coming!"

"Indeed... soon." I joked, and decided a shower would be better. Because that way, I'd keep my virginity a little while longer, therefore our relationship intact. As I showered, I thought, 'Draco's a little out of character…even if this is just a series of books or whatever. What is the author thinking? Maybe she's just some fifteen year old girl whose mind is wandering and quite fancies an Innocent smoothie…did I just seriously think that? Where's the shampoo?"

_(Hehe, it is true! You now know I like smoooothies! :P I know Draco's been OOC, but once the hols are over and Harry and Ron return, do not despair, he'll be back to normal in no time! How will Hermione react? Love, hate, confusion, despair, it sounds like an episode of Eastenders! _


	11. Stress

_(I'm so glad I've been able to update this story so much! And I'm very happy it cheered LemonCheese up :D I feel so proud. Any suggestions about if Ron and Harry find out, and if so, how? Let me know! If you do I'll send you your very own green nightie ;D Also, I know HBP wasn't set in 2007 but It's just convenient for me again people! You're all insane and I love it. DSOTM94)_

I had celebrated New Year with Draco, and Draco alone. We'd counted down, and I'd jumped up, saying, "Happy New Year! 2007. Two thousand. And seven." Although I never got to say it all because I was swept up in a long, effort-put-in kiss. I did my usual silent gasp, and he said cheerfully, "2007! Happy New Year, Hermione."

"And you." I said thoughtfully, my fingers tracing my lips where he's left them marked. For ever. He cheerfully broke out several alcoholic drinks.

"Okay, take your pick!" he swept his arms around the fizzing glasses, and I asked, "Which is which?"

"Well this is your average champagne, that's the same but pink, that's vodka, that's rum and Coke, that's Spanish cava, that's rosé…" he indicated them all.

"Wow." I blinked. "What do you recommend?"

"I recommend this." He said and took something too small to be a glug, but too big for a sip of the pink champagne. Then, without swallowing, he came over, kissed me, and I tasted the fizziness on my tongue. "Wow." I repeated.

"You seem to have been saying that a lot lately." He laughed, and then with the vodka he did it again, and this time there was a jolt, and I felt very very very relaxed.

"Wow. Wowee. Wowzers. That shure is mind blowing. Mind. Blown." I repeated it for emphasis.

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

"No, course no, Drakie." I slurred. It was put on, but he didn't know that.

He shuddered slightly and asked, "Have you had any behind my back? How much have you had?"

"Four." I said, whilst holding up five fingers. At his face I laughed, and told him, "It's a joke, Draco. Would I really call you 'Drakie'?"

"You'd better not do." He smiled, and as we stood by a gigantic bed (the Room tended to get rather insistent) he said, "Shall we?"

"Well, I think maybe…let's just…"

"If you're not comfortable with anything you just need to tell me to stop, and I will." He said sincerely.

And I said jokingly, "Well, we can't let anyone know we had sex anyway, for a very good reason."

"Why's that? Besides the obvious I mean."

"Well, that would be Mature and we're only rated Teen, so that'd be breaking the rules, Draco darling." I joked, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, so you're still on about us being in a series of books."

"And films. I wonder who would play you in a film?"

"Well the author of this little story," he said, humouring me, "must have quite a lot of time on his or her hands, maybe she didn't go to school."

"She must like school though, because she's been writing all about us! Well, not the concept of school itself because, well, it's school but maybe she's like a Muggle me."

"Or so she thinks. That's what she likes to think when actually her little fingers are typing this as fast as possible, even though she might not know what happens at the end."

"And you said I was mental." I laughed.

"You are!" he said silkily, but continued, "anyway, let's forget about this fictional author and get on with normal, every day things like performing magic and shagging your Slytherin boyfriend." He whispered enticingly in my ear.

I didn't say it, but I wondered, 'I wonder if she'd like to do that too…oh well, let's have sex! Kind of…'

Well, we sat on the bed and started with soft, little kisses, little loving ones, but then he grew eager, lying me down and kissing my neck, even biting it a little. I gasped and wriggled about, and when he tried it again, it tickled, and I started giggling.

"I think someone's had a bit to drink." He tickled me properly now. "I might take advantage."

"I might cut off a vital piece of your anatomy." I pointed my wand.

"When do Batman and Robin get back?" he enquired.

"Who?"

"Old lightning bolt and the weasel."

"Careful, ferret face. Those are my friends you're talking about. And how on earth are they _Batman_ and _Robin_?"

"Well, a comedy pair anyway."

"Morecambe and Wise? Tom and Jerry? Pingu and that seal? Now that's something. I reckon Harry would be Pingu."

"Pingu?" Draco repeated like it was a foreign language. I laughed.

A few days later, I was strolling down the corridor aimlessly with Luna.

Draco was with Blaise and Theodore. I glared at them and they started their usual comments, and Blaise just said, "Oh look at the Muggle born. I bet she's off to the library. _Again_."

"Blaise," Luna cut in gracefully, looking as if she was in her own world, "You mustn't goad Hermione. She's very frustrated."

"Ah, sexual frustration," Draco spoke up arrogantly, "It happens to the best of us."

I sneered, "Fuck off, Zabini." Because he'd been making faces.

"Where to, my darling?" he retorted saucily, licking his lips.

Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed Luna by the elbow. "We should probably get a move on," she hinted it strongly, beginning to walk away.

"Lovegood!" I heard Blaise call.

Luna turned around expectantly.

"I'm having a bit of a get together at the Slytherin common room tonight. You're coming," he stated.

My eyes widened and turned to Luna, shaking my head. "Very bad idea. Not a good idea," I mumbled repeatedly.

Luna looked to Blaise, then to me, then back to Blaise, and responded, "Shall I bring a friend?"

"As long as it's not another male," he smirked and walked the other way, satisfied.

"Are you bloody insane?!" I shrieked, not even waiting until we were out of earshot.

"Would you like to accompany me to a get together tonight?" Luna asked, as if the prior conversation never occurred.

"What – did I just not – _Luna_!"

"If not, you can just say no," Luna clarified, still looking dazed.

"Are you – are you even _listening_ to yourself?! You agreed to be surrounded by ruthless Slytherins, who, in fact, might even devour your blood in a sacrifice of the … the … the _evil_!" I stuttered, not wanting Luna to get into my complicated love life, and god forbid, create one of her own.

"You sound just like Ron." Luna pointed out.

"You're not going," I said in finality.

Luna just stared. "I've already given in my R.S.V.P."

"_What_?! This isn't a wedding! God, you've gone straight for the asylum, haven't you?!" I raged.

"I'll go alone then," she decided, striding towards her dormitory.

I trailed along beside her. "Are you dense?! No! You are _not_ going!"

"Yes, I am," breathed Luna tranquilly. She spotted a bird. "Oh, look," she cooed happily, "it's a pigeon."

"Luna, focus!" I said, frustrated. "I will not let you attend that gathering."

Luna kept walking, ignoring my protests. "See you later, Hermione."

I growled loudly at the corridor, watching Luna as she sauntered away. "Damn it," I muttered. "Fine!" I yelled, raising a defeated fist. "I'll go!"

"I'll stop by to get you," Luna sang back, knowing full well that I would consent to come and protect her. Of course I would. The girl was much cleverer than she let on. No wonder she was Ravenclaw.

"What does one wear to a Death Eater meeting?" I moaned later on, in the dormitory, Luna had come to help me pick out an outfit.

"Most likely Death Eater robes," Luna said, not catching the jeer. "Or all black. Maybe they wear purple. I love purple. You do too, don't you?"

I merely stared in amazement. I decided to ignore the nightie incident. "You are aware that we're going to be entering the lair of all that is wicked and immoral, right?"

"You should go with blue, then," suggested Luna, examining her fingernails. "You have such beautiful skin for blue."

I rolled my eyes and slid on the dress and pulled my hair back,

"I do hope they have nibbles," Luna announced out of the blue.

"Let's just go."

***

Staring at the painting considerately, Luna hummed a soft tune.

"Well, seems like we don't have the password!" I declared happily, clapping my hands. "Why don't we just go on back to our rooms and sleep?" Ditzy like Phoebe in _Friends_ Luna was, but if I told her about my current situation even she couldn't remain unruffled, could she? She was so easy going.

Luna shrugged. "I guess we do have to depart," she agreed.

I leapt for joy and began walking away.

Just as she took another step, the painting swung open and revealed an aggravated Draco Malfoy. He glanced at Luna and sneered. "Braving the storm, Lovegood?"

_Fucking hell, he looks like sex on a dish_. I thought, and then stared at my feet.

Luna nodded gently, but bravely. "You can't beat the weather if you don't brave the storm," she informed him, sliding past him and walking in. She paused and motioned for me to follow. "Are you coming, Hermione?"

Malfoy's eyes snapped immediately towards me.

I stated firmly, "I believe I am."

We entered the common room and even Luna found she couldn't control an awed gasp.

It was glorious. Rich, velvet drapes donned their windows. Their couches were lined with suede. It was dark, but warm, and I wished the Gryffindor common rooms were half as breath taking.

Slytherins gathered in an imperfect circle on the couches.

I jumped when I didn't find Luna beside me. Two eyes scanned the room wildly and two lungs breathed a sigh of relief when one Hermione (Er, hello!) discovered Luna admiring the pattern on the wall.

"What is this?" drawled an amused Daphne Greengrass. "Two lions in the den of the snakes?"

Blaise glared at her. "Is there a problem?"

She shook her head, still grinning. "Not at all. Quite a change in pace." Her grin grew wider. "Interesting company as well."

I felt a body next to me. Turning, Malfoy loomed. _What was he thinking? People might get suspicious!_

"Draco, leave the girl alone," Millicent Bulstrode ordered, sitting pleasantly on the ground. "We all know she's a bit high strung." My eyes met mine and she smiled. "I heard what you did to our friend Draco. Nice one, Granger. Not bad for a Muggle."

I was flattered. "It's all in the wrist," I said smugly.

Bulstrode laughed. "Poor boy cried in the Infirmary for hours," she chuckled. Draco shot a warning glance.

"What did the bloke do, Granger?" dear Blaise asked smoothly, curious. He'd been okay to me, he knew about Draco and me because he may have caught us…er…together. But he'd remained silent so far.

I carefully eyed Luna in the corner of the room. "He was being his usual arrogant self, and after said he was going to kick my arse. I'm still waiting." I replied, not really paying attention to them.

Luna reached out a hand to touch a painting.

"It is a gorgeous arse," Blaise drawled, smirking.

"You want a slapped face?" I joked. A little.

He grinned, humoured by the defence. "Sit down," he commanded, patting the space next to him.

Gulping, I began to notice the awkwardness of the situation. Standing like an outsider – which I was – before them, Luna was distractedly roaming through the room, and Draco kept giving me quick furtive glances, to see how I was acting.

I sat next to him.

"Luna," I called out suddenly. "You should come sit." I prayed that Luna would hurry up with her inspection and save me from another odd conversation.

Luna drifted towards an oak door. "I've always wanted to see what a Slytherin bedroom looked like," she commented lightly.

I froze as Blaise got up within seconds to show her.

Daphne Greengrass smirked haughtily. "Your friend is extremely trusting, isn't she?"

I stared, shell-shocked, as Luna entered the room with no fear whatsoever. "Luna," I croaked, following her. "This is _not_ a bedroom," I breathed, looking around in admiration.

Their rooms were even more regal. Four poster beds were lined in their own little – _definitely not little_, I decided – nooks. The suite was humungous. It could obviously fit more than four students within it.

"Is this your bed?" Luna sighed, feeling the silk sheets between her fingers.

I gaped at her. Did she really have no idea what the hell she was doing? Luna was always so calm and serene, but to not blatantly see the signs of Blaise's lust for her? Was she serious? I couldn't decide what to do. I knew Draco well, but Blaise even less.

Blaise came close and stared down at her, his dark eyes hooded. "Of course. I can't have anything less than silk."

Luna smiled wistfully. "You have good taste."

"Lovegood," he whispered, lightly touching her arm.

I couldn't take it anymore and left.

"Granger, where are you off to?"

"What're you leaving for?"

Irritated the next morning, I took it out on Blaise.

"Zabini, you are a pig!"

"I'm a stunning pig."

_Fuck_, I thought, _Slytherins_.

"Granger!" called out a voice.

_Bulstrode_, I realised. Trying to muster up any bravery I had left, I turned and faced the nerve-racking cluster. It seemed like all the sixth year Slytherins were glued together.

"I enjoyed your bad mood yesterday. With an attitude like that, you and Weasel King are quite the pair," she said cheerfully, eyes laughing.

"I had things to do," I said curtly.

They stopped before me and I felt caged.

"'Things'. Ha! Is that a nickname for him?" someone commented, grinning.

Not looking at them, I asked brusquely, "Is that all?"

"You left rather early last night," Greengrass stated the obvious, studying me intently. I didn't like it.

"I had better things to do," I answered briskly.

"You seemed upset," she pursued.

_Oh God, oh God oh God, just let it go_, I screamed inwardly. "I was fine," I lied.

"If you say so." They all shrugged and ambled off.

_Did that just happen?_ I asked myself. _Did they just give up there and then? Got to have something planned._

I'd been stared at, at a 'party'. I had to lie to Ron and Harry, saying I'd been –of course- at the library.

Tangled in the curtains, Draco caressed my face.

"Hermione's been a bad girl," he whispered. "She's got a dirty little secret and she had to tell lots of lies to keep up her good girl reputation. Is it worth it, just for me?" he said, breathing on my ear. My fingers were cold and he rubbed his warm ones over mine.

"Yes, of course." I whispered back, hoping that in the long run, it really would be.

_(Wow! Draco's rubbing off on Hermione…where will this lead them? I know the 'party' scene was a bit different but it just popped into my head and I thought it would be interesting to see what happened when the Slytherins tried to stress out Hermione. Not very good for her! But at least Ron and Harry don't know…yet! Thanks again, keep reviewing! DSOTM94)_


	12. A Family Of Tomatoes

_(Hey all! It's me again. Apologies to ChinaDollMaiden, because I feel like I was just pointing out a little mistake, and not taking in her actual review. She also has an awesome name! And thanks also to Weasley-Basher, you cheered me up :D Ron is a bit of a prat but we all love him really…don't we? also to Dreadfuldelights and Abbygreeneyes. So, now the stress is really kicking in for Hermione, how's she gonna take it? Will more people find out? There's only one way to find out…FIGHT! Oh wait, sorry, that's Harry Hill. DAMN I MISSED IT! Anyway, enjoy! DSOTM94)_

"Harry, Ron, may I be allowed a short, violent outburst?" I asked calmly.

Ron started to say something that sounded like a yes, but I shouted, "DAMN!"

"Hermione, you've been so stressed lately!" Harry said, concerned.

"Is it…er…'that time of the month'?" Ron asked awkwardly.

Actually it was, but I wasn't about to let him know that. I sighed and said, "I'm just…stressed. Because of everything. You know. Exams and stuff. I _am_ human, you know."

They nodded, and I found some scrap parchment, scribbled a note to the one person I could wholly trust, and sent it off with a school owl.

I sat in the late January air, it was a Sunday and I felt it. Glumly, I waited for ages until I heard the steps and the breath, and Draco Malfoy, my sort-of boyfriend (I still couldn't get used to it, after all, we had to meet in secret, and everyone was doing last minute homework now) came and sat with me behind the tree.

"Okay, I've got one." He says, putting on a false cheerful smile.

I didn't look up.

"A family of tomatoes are walking down the street and the littlest tomato is struggling to keep up, and the dad tomato says-"

"Ketchup." I said to my knees.

"Oh, you've heard it then?"

I didn't reply.

"I've been working hard you know, I even looked at a few Muggle jokes for you." He persists, like it was torture to do so.

I raised my eyebrows. "Go on then." I mutter.

"Okay, Three blokes go into a pub. Well, I say three; could be four or five."

I stared. "Could be nine or ten, doesn't matter." He continued. "Could have been fifteen, twenty - fifty. Round it up. Hundred. Let's go mad, eh - two-fifty. Tell you what, double it up - five hundred. Thousand! Oh, I've gone mad!"

What fresh hell?

"Two thousand! Five thousand!"

Then Draco began to adopt an auctioneer persona. "Anyone? Five thousand, six thou, six thousand, ten thousand! Small town in Hertfordshire goes into a pub! Fifteen thousand blokes! Alright, let's go - population of Rotterdam. The Hague. Whole of Northern Holland. Mainland U.K. Let's go all the way to the top - Europe, alright? Whole of Europe goes - I say Europe. Could be Eurasia. Not the band, obviously, that's just two of them."

I decided not to ask how he'd heard of the band. "Alright, continents - North America! Plus South America! Plus Antarctica - that's just eight blokes in a weather station. Not a good example. Alright, make it a lot simpler, all the blokes on the planet go into the pub, right? And the first bloke goes up to the bar and he says 'I'll get these in.' What an idiot."

I kept my head down.

"Okay, I'm sure I'll regret in many years asking this, but the way you worded that letter made it seem like a walk to the gallows. This had better be worth it. What's the matter?"

"I don't know. I don't even remember. It's just one of those girl moments where we get depressed for absolutely no reason whatsoever."

"So let me get this correct – you set a crazy owl on me and have me dragged away from my mates so I can cater to your completely irrational female emotional crisis? Let me guess, it's some biological whim?" It never ceased to amaze me how callous his words could be with his hands treating me so tenderly. "Explain to me at what point you thought this was a good idea."

I sat back to glare at him. "Oh I don't know, I guess I was just thinking that my boyfriend should be there for me when something's wrong."

"There _is_ nothing wrong!" he cried, throwing his arms over his head in exasperation.

"Yes there is!"

"_What_?"

"_I don't know!_" I yelled, chest heaving with laboured breaths.

He stared for a minute before shaking his head in obvious bafflement. "I will never understand women."

I sniffed quietly, desperately trying to hold back my tears. He hated it when I cried. "Could you just…you know…be here for me?"

He sighed. "I don't know how to…" he scrunched up his features in distaste, "_comfort_ you if you don't give me _some_ sort of reason."

It was a whole month now, and he still acted like he was brand new to all of this. "I'm just not feeling well, alright? And like I just said, all you have to do is be here for me." What seemed like a full minute passed in which neither of us moved. Finally, growing impatient, I demanded, "Well?"

Draco put his hands up defensively. "What? You said be here. I'm here."

"Well you've got to do _something!_"

"You're being contradictory, I hope you know."

"Draco…."

"Alright, alright. Well…I s'pose we could go to my dorm and…you know…."

"Oh honestly, Draco, I can't even _think_ about that right now." Unable to hold back the tears any longer, I wiped at them furiously and stood up. "I'm gonna go."

He scrambled to his feet and followed me, grabbing my right wrist and spinning me around to face him. "Hey, Granger, c'mon. Seriously, what's wrong?"

If I was looking at those eyes for much longer I'd collapse.

I whispered, "You don't know me at all."

"Hermione!" He caught up and matched my quick strides easily. "What do you mean? Is that why you were upset to begin with? Me?"

I came to a sudden halt and spun on him. "No, I already told you, I was just depressed for no reason! I sort of depended on you to lend just a _smidgen_ of comfort, but obviously you have _no clue_ about me and are completely incapable of that kind of caring, so why don't you just get back to your mates!"

"What do you mean I don't know you?" he demanded, once more following after me.

"I mean just what I said! You don't get me at all!" I took a deep breath, the truth of what I'd just said sinking in. "So…so maybe we should just forget this whole relationship thing."

He suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me right up against his chest. My heart was thudding heavily with anticipation, although I would have denied it at the time. "Now you listen here, bookworm, I know you better than you think. I know when you're happy, your eyes get all soft and light, but when you're angry like now, they get little specks in them, and when you're turned on they're practically black, and it means you really want to have sex with me, but you're terrified that will change everything.. I know that when you bite your lip in the middle you're nervous, when you bite it to the left you're embarrassed, but when you bite it to the right you're thinking about something, usually something dirty."

"I am n – !"

He cut me off, smirking a little. "I also know you hate it when I catch you thinking about something dirty. I know you secretly love wearing green because it reminds you of me, but you'd never admit it. I know that right before you fall asleep you make toss and turn a million times, before going into the same position you always do, with one hand under the pillow and usually on your left side, facing me when we're in the Room. I know that when you're in a bad mood you like to take your anger out on other people. Usually on me."

"That's not tru – "

He interrupted again. "You know it is. In fact, the first time we kissed is because I was just trying to shut you up because you were irritated and trying to act all superior because of it."

I blushed, biting my lip – on the left – and looked away.

"I know you secretly can't stand Lavender," he smirked when I faked a look of surprised innocence, "and I know that when we share a bed, you bloody love it."

Now I glared at him, the smug, completely correct bastard that he was. "Prat."

He chuckled and inched just a bit closer, his voice lowering. "I know that you like to threaten to break this off all the time, like it would be just as easy as all that, but I also know you could never walk away unless you had damn good reason to."

"I could if I had to," I whispered.

"Like I said, only if you had damn good reason."

He nodded. "I also know that when you're depressed you want nothing more than a clump of grapes, _and_ I know that only red ones that aren't too cold but not too soft will do, as long as there's some chocolate cake as well." As a bowl of the mentioned food materialized.

I looked up at him and wavered between lingering annoyance and intense love. After a few seconds' indecision, I decided it really was impossible to stay mad at a guy who could say all that and then offer up a plate of chocolate heaven, along with grapes so I could taste the juice. Smiling softly, I nicked the food and went for the chocolate first.

"How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I could tell from the note you'd want them, so I got some sorted, ready to Summon."

I snorted, but didn't say anything.

He arched an eyebrow. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It's delicious."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I spend the past five minutes spouting Shakespearean crap like some gay boy and that's all you can manage?"

A slow, mischievous grin appeared on my face. "Well…I suppose we could go to your dorm after all…." Then I bit my lip – on the right.

Both of his eyebrows went up. "Why, my little bookworm, are you seducing me?"

"I don't know. I guess you'll have to wait and see, won't you?"

He smirked and pulled me against him with an arm around my waist. "Your eyes are almost black."

I threw his smirk right back at him. "So are yours."

"I take it you're no longer depressed?"

"Nope."

He regarded me skeptically. "Just like that?"

"Well…" she glanced down at the nearly empty plate. "I _have_ had like five or six bunches of grapes, and two giant slices of cake already."

He shook his head. "That has to be some kind of record. No way you'll ever be up to certain…ah, activities…after all that."

I laughed and put both arms around his neck. "Oh, Draco, you don't know me at all."

And so, he pulled me along and my heart thudding faster than ever, we made our way towards his Slytherin bedroom.

_(Wow! I didn't expect that to happen! So, will Hermione do the deed? Does she trust Draco enough? Let's see what happens…DSOTM94)_


	13. I've Lost My Mind

_(Hey guys! Me again, of course. Thank you so much, can't believe the number of reviews I've had! Really kept me going :D and of course, school is being all bleaaargh. Enjoy, and thanks to those persistent reviewers whose words I live off! You all know who you are…enjoy!)_

We had to go long ways, short ways,_ any_ way to make sure nobody would think me and Draco were in any way together. I decided to stop at the common room to talk to Harry and Ron first. Draco waited impatiently for me as I gabbled to them I'd be busy, no, they'd have to do their homework on their own, no, I couldn't stay and help, I had to go. Now.

I jumped out of the room and Draco seized my wrist. It seemed like hours before we reached his common room, and the lighting was all green. I didn't know what to think, or say, when he led me inside, and the common room was empty. It should have made me calm, but it made me worry, _what if someone walked in on us?_

"My bed." He said softly, and each step creaked louder than the last, and my feet dragged, though I should be bloody running up, didn't I love him? Yes. Didn't I want to do this? Of course.

I started fiddling with my top, and unbuttoning my jeans, secretly wishing that I'd thought to put on slightly more attractive underwear than my green Snoopy knickers and pink bra. They didn't even match. But no matter, I continued pulling off my jacket and my top, which slid off easily, and Draco pushed open the door, and…and…and…

Blaise was there.

Grinning.

_Knowingly_.

I shrieked, trying to pull my top back on and button my jeans again at the same time, but with my numb fingers, it wasn't working, so I just hid the stupid, stupid pink thing that was attached to my chest, and shouted at Blaise, "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Well, I _was_ finishing off a Potions essay, but…" he gestured to us two. I didn't dare look at Draco.

"No, why are you _here_?" I continued to berate him.

"It's my bed Granger, but clearly you need more use out of it than I do…" he raised his eyebrows.

A voice. "Blaise, you have effectively just turned off Hermione. I may have to kill you." Draco laughed. He laughed. _Laughed_!

"Why are you LAUGHING?!" I span to him.

"Because you're so bloody funny when you're like this." He explained, grinning.

Blaise wandered over, interested. "Green?" he smirked, reaching for the knicker band. I slapped his hand away.

"She really is a Slytherin at heart." Draco grinned. I was growing hot, and sat down.

They continued to joke around while I sat there, feeling so idiotic, it was just awful.

I mean, it was _really_ awful.

"Welcome to the dark side." I thought I heard, but my mind wasn't working anymore. I started tapping my foot a little.

"I think that's my cue to leave." Blaise raised his eyebrows, glancing at me. He swiftly exited, but I felt thoroughly crap now, but really mature. Erm. Ok.

I sat up, trying to think of ways to get back into the mood. I dumped my top on the floor and instructed Draco to lock the door, which he did. He joined me on his bed, and I noticed how pale he really was, when he started to do that lip nibbling thing, which is delicious. And he was varying pressure, and his hands…_oh_, his _hands_…they were just so gentle…so amazing, moving up my leg slowly, so brilliant, so-

_Slap_.

_Didn't expect that_, I thought, as I looked at my hand, and then at Draco. "What was that?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that." I said, startled at it myself.

"Okay…" he said, grinning slightly.

We started it up again, soft, gentle little kisses, starting to get longer and more…interesting. His hands, one in my hair, one on my l-

_Slap_.

"I'm sorry! I can't, I don't know what happened. I must be nervous."

"I don't get it." Draco shrugged.

"Okay," I tried to sort myself out. "I won't do it again, I promise, I promise, I promise. I promise. This is gonna be great!"

"Okay…"

We got into it _again,_ his hands on my back now, and sliding down, down, up my leg and-

_Slap_ on the hand, _slap_ on the face!

_Oh my God, what was wrong with me?_

I put one hand to my forehead, half expecting a fever. Draco just shook himself, like a dog might, his eyes widened.

"Er…was that good for _you_?"

A few days later, I stormed in when I knew he'd be sitting up at midnight, with no one else there. Mainly 'cause I'd told him to.

"Okay, soldier, we gotta do this!" I said desperately, pulling his shirt.

I managed to push him into a chair, and jumped on him, which made him yell.

"Oh bugger in buggeration!"

"Mind that bloody language Draco, you'll wake up the sodding castle!"

Oh, the irony.

On closer inspection, I'd accidentally kneed him. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

He just looked ill.

"Draco, are you okay?"

I didn't dare try anything for a while after that.

I did giggle to myself about it afterwards though, wondering how we would eventually 'do it', if you want to be discreet. Make love, copulate, do what humans do, sexual intercourse, sleeping with someone, going to bed with someone, basically, just having a shag. But I was a virgin, so I didn't want there to be a load of fumbling ending up in anti climaxed frustration. Then again, it wasn't his first time so he could…ah…show me what to do.

I tried to imagine various situations in which we might _do the dirty_, but I heard a Ravenclaw seventh year describing what her first time had been like, talking to her friends in the girls' toilets. "A painful activity in which a man, using the stiffest and pointiest part of his pelvic region, repeatedly stabs a female in her crotch until he feels satisfied."

Oh.

Sex: I've learnt it has a different definition depending whether you're a boy or girl.

For women, it's to make sweet passionate love to your soul mate. Elevating each other's bodily experiences to a new level.

Men What to do when not playing Quidditch.

You can imagine the scene…the young romantic girl with her player boyfriend, who she believes is 'The One' says passionately, "Let's complete each other darling. I want to caress you with all my love."

The player boyfriend? "Let's make fucky."

And that's not the worst, believe me. You do not want to know what some of the boys came out with. Oh God. Ignore that. No, anyway, as I was saying, I was poring over some long and hard homework I had, and it was really difficult, even for me.

_Ugh_. I shuddered and then something popped out of nowhere. Harry's head.

_Oh my God, I have to stop thinking like this! _I thought in despair.

"Yes, Harry?" I asked sharply. "I have to get this done for tomorrow."

"I was wondering if you could do a favour for me…"

"Depends what it is…"

"Could you lend me a hand with-"

_STUPID INNUENDOS_! I screamed inwardly, as I did Harry's homework for him.

The next morning was a disaster. I slept in, so I missed breakfast, and in double Transfiguration I just thought, _Why, oh why, am I ever going to need to turn a cocoa bean into a bar of chocolate?_

Sliding into Charms after break, we had to take about a million notes that were in no way relevant, in my opinion anyway. Just revision, revision, revision. Staring into space and daydreaming about you-Know-Who (No bad taste jokes about Voldemort, _please_) and occasionally doodling with my quill.

Ancient Runes I got stuck into, as it is one of my better subjects, and it passed easily enough, but I couldn't remember a single detail. Not a single one. So consequently I was having a panic attack, and as a result I couldn't take in anything around me, including the rain outside.

I just stood there, and realised I'd left my robes in my dorm.

I'd lost my mind, I'd lost my mind, all the words running through my head. I felt totally lost, why, why? Argh, mindfuck! I just wanted to be with \Draco, nobody else so we could be free, but I'd lost my mind so it was too late.

Potions, double Potions was last. Not what I needed right now, thank you so very much, end of story, goodbye, the end.

Except it wasn't.

This Potions lesson and what followed after it was going to remain etched in my mind forever, whether I liked it or not.

_(The tension grows! What's going to happen? I know this was a shorter chapter, but I got distracted with my mock GCSE results! I'll make up for it, promise.! Keep reviewing, and thanks to the usuals!)_


	14. Caught Out

_(Yay! LemonCheese spotted my Friends reference! I was wondering if anyone would see that…yay! Thanks for being an amazing reviewer, and to all you others too! Let's see what happens…)_

I stood at the table, with Harry and Ron once more, stirring mindlessly as Harry pored over the Half Blood Prince's book once more. I hummed quietly to myself, perfectly content, with humming my favourite songs, though because some of them were in the original Russian, if I was to sing them aloud, I would be summed up as mad. Completely. Utterly. Bonkers.

How did it go again?

_Some people think I'm bonkers, but I just think I'm free…._

God, that was awful.

Could this day _be_ any worse?

**BANG**.

Yes, yes it could. Neville's cauldron had exploded. Again.

"Please don't do that again, it makes a horrible sound." I quoted a Muggle American sitcom, but nobody got the reference. I wandered over to the catastrophic mess, rolled up my sleeves and had a look at the lemony colour of the goo, yet it had the distinct aroma of cheese. Hmm.

I waved my wand and everything went back to normal, including the quivering Neville. I shook my head at him, grinning a little and he smiled warily back.

I jumped back into my work with renewed vigour, which was beginning to smell delicious. I tasted it, and slowly but surely, in the mirror my eyes began to change to what should have been a purple…but went to a shade of Slytherin green instead. Oops.

The bell rang just as I looked up at Draco, who saw my green eyes and winked. I blushed a deep red, and muttered a spell to return them to the normal hazel. I took my time clearing up, and even cleaning my desk afterwards. Draco was washing his hands meticulously in the sink, and Harry asked me, "Hermione, d'you fancy coming and watching us practice Quidditch?"

It was pouring it down and in a matter of seconds, I knew I'd be coated in mud. "Oh, I wish I could but I don't want to." I replied, and I thought I heard a snort from the corner, and the boys left.

"Oh wonderful-there's still two of you here…" Slughorn had flitted back. "Wouldn't mind tidying up for me, would you? Excellent, it's about time for a little inter-house co operation, don't you think?"

Me and the Slytherin boy in the corner smirk at one another when he leaves, and I have to lean right across the desk to scrub at a stain Ron's left, but irritatingly, Draco shows off by flicking his wand in one easy movement and it's like the flaw was never there.

"Show off." I stick my tongue out.

"Muggle." He retorts.

"You know, I should be offended by that but I'm really not. It's too late for me to care about that…" I say softly, pushing my sleeves up again.

He stares at me, and says in a whisper, "Hermione…"

"…yeah?"

"Kiss me." He barely breathes it, but to me it's a command. I've never really taken charge of him, but now it's like I've been waiting to do it all my life.

I walk up to him slowly, that blond, grey eyed, sexy, mind game playing bastard he is, I sit on the desk, yank him by the shirt and kiss him full on the mouth. I grip his shoulders so hard my nails dig in, and after a while it only seems natural to wrap my legs around his waist, even though I thought people only did that in fanfiction (_Cough cough_). I find each milky button on his shirt exquisite, and the silky _greenness _of the tie is in much sharper focus.

"Now." I whispered hoarsely into his ear.

"Now?"

"Right here. Right now. I don't care. Just now." I hissed, and in one grand gesture, he sweeps the books on the desk, right onto the floor, and with interest I note Harry has left his Potions book behind.

The table wasn't as hard as expected, as I shrugged my shirt off like it was the most natural thing in the world and he did the honour of undoing the clasp at the back of…of…_oh_. His fingers traced the bumps of my spin as he bit my neck, and I breathed heavily, and he carefully, slowly slipped off my shoes and socks. I shakily slipped each button of his shirt out of the holes, and soon, the green and red ties were mingled on the floor, just as we were, on the table.

All the things he'd ever said to me were running through my head, and he whispered, "Are you okay?" and I'd nodded slowly as suddenly he laid me down and suddenly he was moving closer, closer, closer, until…

I gasped involuntarily, my eyes widened, in wonder, his did likewise but only in concern. "Does it hurt?"

"N…n..no…" I looked at his shoulders, it was like I was seeing the real Draco Malfoy for the first time ever. I wanted to cry, laugh and stay silent all at the same time.

Being with him, had truly opened my eyes. How could I believe such a perfect surprise?

What would the others see? Yes, I'd truly lost my mind. Had I crossed the line? Sorry, but I've gone insane, and I don't regret it at all. Not one single, pulsating moment. Especially not this one. This is stretching out into eternity.

I think I love him, I really, really do.

His back is so beautifully pale. His shoulders are so smooth, his hands so sure of themselves. I feel so hidden away and safe, yet so exposed. I'm old. I'm new. I'm the same but different. I've been opened up to a whole new world of whispers, touches and kisses, all on a Potions table.

Not the most ideal spot I know, but I was grateful that it wasn't up against a tree, or a bookshelf. That'd really hurt. And this didn't, not at all. On the contrary.

I don't care right now, it's just you, and me, and it's all about us. We'll fall if we must, but right now we'll rise up, won't stop. It's all about us. You and me. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. They don't know, they can't see who we are…..fear is the enemy, hold on tight, hold onto him, 'cause right now it's all about us.

I lay there afterwards, contemplating what had just occurred. "That was amazing."

"I know. I was there."

I bet he was smirking, but my eyes were closed and I was kissing him. I could just stay attached to his mouth for ever, I think. Dead, obviously, but happy. Dead happy. Shut up, brain!

I was just finishing off the buttons on my shirt and trembling a little when he asked me casually, "How did this happen?"

"Well, you were born," I said, "and then sixteen years later you had sex with me."

And at that exact moment, Harry chose to walk in through the door saying over his shoulder, "I'm sure I left it here-"

And then when he saw us, his mouth fell open. Yep, yep, this was just great. My two best friends has just found out about me and Draco.

Ohhhhh _shit_.

Draco cursed under his breath and I made a stab at normality. "Hi Harry….hi Ron."

"You. Me. Outside. _Now_." Ron said through gritted teeth, jerking his head towards Draco. He shrugged his shoulders and went off.

The door slammed, and predictably, yelling ensued.

Harry took hold of me gently. "Don't worry, he's not going to hurt you again."

"What?"

"Hermione…what happened to you?" he asked in despair, looking at my short skirt and half fastened top. It was his turn to go red.

"I, er, you know, I don't really think we should talk about what's been happening in here for the past half an hour." I said hastily.

"Right." He agreed. Then he paused. "_Half an hour?!_"

Now there was shouting on both sides of the door.

"Harry!" I yelled in desperation. "It's not what it looks like!"

"It's exactly what it looks like." He said scornfully. Looking at my stubborn face, he demanded, "Then if Malfoy wasn't hurting you, or forcing you into it, will you please explain yourself? At what point did this seem like a good idea?"

"Oh, I don't know." I shouted with sarcasm. "Probably when I realised I loved him!"

"He's got you twisted right around his little finger, hasn't he?"

"He has not!"

Before a pantomime act could occur, Ron came back in, letting the door bang shut behind him. Draco calmly walked back in and Ron looked ready to kill. I wondered if I should take his wand, just in case. Draco had been letting me experience the kind of love people freely die for.

"This had better be a joke." Harry pinched where his glasses rubbed his nose.

I shook my head and said bravely, "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

Draco laughed softly and Ron managed to croak, "What've you done with him?"

"I am here you know." Draco pointed out, but Harry raised his wand in a threatening manner.

"Has he forced you into anything?"

I remembered the closet incident but decided to keep that quiet. "No. He hasn't."

"Hermione, how can you think you trust him?"

"I don't 'think' I trust him. I know I trust him." I replied.

"How the _hell_-"

I told Ron to be quiet and said firmly, "We're going to discuss this in the common room."

He gripped my wrist and shoved my robes on me, tutting angrily.

When we got there, Ron started up again. "Right, let me get this straight, you're in _love_ with _Malfoy_? This is stupid. He's a _Slytherin_. It's not _natural_. It's not right."

"You shut your mouth!" I shouted at Ron, and he was stunned by my reaction. Harry tried to say something but I got there before him.

"How can you say I go about things the wrong way?! I am a human and I need to be loved!"

Harry looked at me and I continued, "Just like everybody else does. Now, you two are going to stay quiet about this, or you will be very, very, VERY sorry indeed. So sorry, that you will regret it for the rest of your lives. You're the only ones who know I was with Draco in the Potions room, so-"

"Actually…" Harry began uneasily.

"What? Oh God…oh God, don't tell me…"

"Neville." Ron said simply.

"I can not believe he would do that, he doesn't even-" I stopped suddenly and turned to Harry, who was avoiding my eyes. "Harry, does he know?"

"No." he said, slowly, trying to be innocent but sadly failing.

"Harry!"

"He knows!"

"Ugh, I knew it! Oh I cannot believe him! God, he thought he could mess with me and Draco! He's trying to mess with us?! They don't know that we know they know we know!" Harry just shook his head.

"Harry, you can't say anything!"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to!"

"He knows that we're together but he's not said anything?"

"He said he saw you going to the Slytherin common room one night…"

I groaned. "If you want something done _properly_, kill Neville before you start."

"You're not to go near him again. I don't care what you say, you are not in love with him and he certainly doesn't love you. It's mind games Hermione, he's not interested!"

"Well, he certainly _looked_ pretty interested when we were havin-"

I stopped.

Deathly silence.

"You've not…you haven't…no…you..he…you've not…" Ron looked ill and mutinous, never a good combination. Harry was horribly pale and looked like he was sick of all this bad news.

I think I might have nodded my head, but I can't remember, because just then Neville came n, and I set my eyes on him.

"You."

_(Oh no! What's Hermione going to do to Neville? I hope this chapter was okay, thanks for all the reviews, I live off 'em, seriously. And now, I'm going to do my history homework. Yay homework! 'Cause I'm a geek ;D DSOTM94)_


	15. Glass Apple

_(Oh my actual God. The reviews are so damn amazing. Thank you to: LemonCheese who spotted my clever reference once again, ChinaDollMaiden made me literally laugh, Aussiepanda thank you very much, Dreadfuldelights, well, you shall find out now! Hehe. Also thanks to AbbieGreenEyes-it is my fave music group so expect more! I love you guys. Let's see what happens next! DSOTM94)_

A gulp.

A glare.

A weary sigh.

A roll of the eyes.

Neville, me, Harry and Ron stood there in a moment of silence.

I stepped towards Neville, my eyes burning. I smiled slightly disturbingly at him and longed to just start singing in Russian. "Ya soshla s uma…s uma….s uma…." But that would be seen at slightly not normal.

Why the frick did I keep thinking of t.A.T.u? It was dreadful, but oh well! I rounded on Neville, and grabbed him by the shirt.

"Hermione-"

"Keep out of this Ron." I said viciously, and then smiled the biggest smile ever at Neville, who cowered slightly under my gaze.

"Neville, hi." I stared at him, daring him to say something.

"Hermione, hey. I just wanna say, I'm really happy for you, and your _snake_-"

Now was _not_ the time for him to start getting cocky. _Focus on the lyrics, Hermione_, I told myself.

**They say, they don't….trust…you…me…we…us….**

"-but he's obviously hypnotised you or something, because you think you're in love Hermione, but you're not!"

**If they hurt you…they hurt me too!**

"You need to snap out of it Hermione…"

**They don't know, they can't see who we are….fear is the enemy!**

"Her eyes are all glazed. Hermione, _listen_-"

_Ya soshla s uma, ya soshla s uma, mne nuzha ona!_

"He's messing about with you!"

"Vinovata sama!" I said aloud.

"_What_?"

"I said that Draco isn't messing around with me."

"No you didn't. You said 'vinovata sama'!"

"Er, no I didn't. Anyway, I've got something to do, so all three of you-don't tell anyone. Nobody at all or else you will die a very painful, very slow death." I gave them a powerful glance and stayed in bed until the next morning.

The next morning sort of began with an argument.

"Good morning!" I said loudly to those three.

"Alright?" Neville asked nervously.

"As I'm sure you're aware, I'm with Draco. I hope you're ready to get to grips with reality. Maybe be civil to the Slytherins. I think we'll start with Draco himself."

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Are you mental?"

"No, I'm open minded." I said briskly.

"So you're mental then."

"No, I'm normal."

"So you're mental then."

"No I'm not but as you can clearly see I am sane."

"She's not even a Slytherin." One of them muttered.

"You don't have to be Slytherin to like them."

"But I can't understand what you're saying, Hermione." Ron said childishly.

"Well clearly you can."

"Sorry, are you talking Parsel tongue now?"

"No, I'm talking English."

"Right…doesn't sound like it." Harry said surprisingly. I thought he'd be more mature than this.

"Okay, whatever you want…now, I want you to know about the real Draco."

"Hermione."

"Draco is funny,"

"Hermione"

"He's also thoughtful-"

"Hermione-"

"And personally, I think he's a very genuine person-_yes, Harry?_"

A pause.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Not just now."

"But can I just ask you a question though?"

"Just wait-"

"Can I just ask you a question? I only wanted to ask you a question. Can't I ask you a question, I only want to ask you a question, can't I ask you a question?" he rattled through. I had a suspicion about this but let it go.

"What is it?"

"Are you the heir?"

"The heir of Slytherin?" I asked, horrified.

"Yes!" he and Ron snorted.

"I'm not Voldemort, I'm your best friend!"

"I don't think so. I think you're an ageless white snake like creature that wants to kill us all!" Ron was getting angry now. Oh great.

"Listen-"

"Did you just pitch up from Mars, or wherever you live?" Ron asked. Harry said thoughtfully, "Maybe she's Doctor Who."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You know your house right? You know your house?"

"Yeah."

"Is it bigger on the inside?"

"Be quiet!"

"Did you park the Tardis on a meter?"

"Can we please get back to being civil to Draco! Thank you!"

A small silence in which I breathed.

"So…" I began.

"Do you fancy David Tennant?" Harry asked harshly.

"Right, that's it! When we go into the hall for breakfast, you're all going to sit there, keep your mouths _shut_, or I will curse you all into the next century!" I shouted.

I fell morosely silent at the table, eating. I felt all eyes were on me. A clank of a spoon reverberated in my ears. The creak of the bench vibrated for hours on end. I was feeling prickly again. It's that old unhealthy emotion: Paranoia. Hello, there, can you go away? No? Thought not.

I didn't dare look at Draco. But Ron and Harry were more than happy to throw him dirty looks. I squirmed. "We can't keep this quiet for ever you know." Harry mutters. Ron looks outraged. "We don't need to! It's not going to happen anymore! It's over! This stops, now!"

"You can't monitor my every movement, Ronald." I say scornfully.

"I can." He replies, not thinking it through.

"Oh, okay." I say sarcastically. "So you're going to sit with me through Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, follow me wherever I go, hang outside the door when I go to the bathroom, and stare at me when I get into bed, right? That's likely."

He just looked furious.

"How long has it been going on?" he said through his teeth.

"A month or so."

"A _month?_" Harry gasps. "But Hermione, if Draco_ is_ a Death Eater, this might be part of his plan. He could kill you!"

"You think I haven't considered that?"

"Well no, I-"

"Well shut up then."

It was a Saturday, which meant Quidditch practice, which mean the lads couldn't keep their eye on me. They didn't seem to mind when I gigged with devilish glee, wanting to skip off to find Draco.

Then, as I edged away, I managed to get into the Slytherin common room again by muttering the password, and there was Draco chatting to Blaise.

"I mean, yeah, I can see your point-" Draco was saying, before his eyes slowly swivelled to spot me.

"Can't keep away, can you?" Blaise grinned.

"What do you mean?" I asked, half suspicious, as I leaned against a table.

"Well, you certainly seem to enjoy tables don't you?"

"_What?_"

"He got it out of me." Draco shrugged.

"He got it out of you? You could have kept your mouth shut!"

"But old Blaise here can whip up a little Veritaserum in no time. In fact, he has his own little store." Draco rolled his eyes at his friend's weirdness.

"Oh wow. Seriously?" I asked.

"I've never been more serious in my life." Blaise told me, and after fiddling in his inside pocket, he tossed me a corked bottle. I caught it, and stared at it. "You've got a talent there."

"I know." He smirked, and I was about to make a retort when Draco asked me, "What are you doing here?"

"I had to come." I replied, and Blaise snorted, but I tried to ignore it.

"What do you mean you had to come here? What, you were on some dark purpose?" Draco joked.

"No, because Ron and Harry are otherwise engaged-"

Blaise was in perfectly dignified hysterics now, and I said, so that he'd understand it was Gryffindor's Quidditch practice, "And Ginny was with them, so-"

Choking. I rolled my eyes and said, "For Christ's sake, they're having Quidditch practice!"

"Right." Blaise grinned, and motioned for me to continue.

"So at the time I thought it would be a good idea to walk down here and make witty, sophisticated conversation with you, but clearly Blaise is obsessed by sex, so-"

"I am not _obsessed_!"

"How's it going with Luna?" I asked innocently, and Blaise, he actually went all shifty eyed. "Well, it's good, I mean, it's good, and, yeah everything's good."

"I take it things are good then?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Blaise is being a gentleman with Luna." Draco teased.

I rolled my eyes again, and said suddenly, "Is this what you two guys do then?"

"What, when we're alone? Oh no, we do very different stuff when we're alone…" Blaise said suggestively.

Draco finished it off. "We do our homework."

"Aah, bless. You do your homework together!" I flashed a cheesy grin at them, the picture of innocence.

"Well, we all don't have a photographic memory!" Blaise said. How did he know about something so Muggle?

"I'm actually half blood," he explains, before adding hurriedly, "But ssh."

I rolled my eyes, and sat on the table properly and announced, "Right, witty conversation, Draco, what about that three men go into a pub joke you told me?"

"I know a few. Three blokes go into a pub. One of them is a little bit stupid, and the whole scene unfolds with a tedious inevitability."

I groan. Then I have a think. "Ah, you see, there's this crisis in masculine identity at the moment. Women, totally at home with their sexuality. 'I am woman, wo-man, I, wo_man_.'"

They just stared. "Alright, how about the word 'bloke'?"

They nod.

"You see, there's a term that men feel more comfortable with. Bloke, blokey bloke bloke. It's a kind of friendly term. 'Oh, he's a bloke, lovely bloke, nice bloke, blokey bloke. I'm a bloke, you're a bloke, wahey!' It doesn't impose any unnecessary demands on us as men. 'Bloke', that's just basically 'carry stuff, don't get in the way'. 'Man', that's all kinds of other things, isn't it? That's nobility, gallantry, wisdom... that conjures up some image of a bloke in a cardigan with a pipe saying 'Cover up those table legs, mother, they're inflaming my sexual ardour'." I altered my voice when needed.

Draco snorted and Blaise shook his head. "You're doing it all wrong, Granger."

"Draco didn't seem to think so-" I started to say but Blaise held up his hands. "Okay! Don't give me all the details on your sex life! I'll ask Draco later."

I threw at him. "Okay, how do you tell a joke then?"

"It's all about timing, and being natural."

"Oh yeah?"

"It's a tough job, being a comedian-I mean, that wizard bloke, Hazadi Haggledon, he should know! I've had a few jobs myself, you know."

"Oh, what was the worst?"

"My first job was selling doors, door to door. That's a tough job isn't it?"

I tried to work out if that made sense in my head.

"Ding dong. Can I interest you in a – oh shit, you've already got one. Well never mind…"

I laughed. "You see!" He grinned. "I'm a professional. Luna's been very amused in my company."

"I bet she has."

"Three blind mice walk into a pub." Draco speaks up all of a sudden. "But they are unaware of their surroundings, so to derive humour from it would be exploitative."

"Sit down, Granger. I don't bite." Blaise smirked. "Much."

"No, that's Draco's job."

"_Hermione!_"

"I'm _joking_!"

"It wasn't very funny." He huffed, and my face fell.

"I'm joking!" he laughed and it was my turn to huff. But I failed.

"Isn't it funny," I said thoughtfully, "That whenever you're looking for something, it's always the last place you look?"

"Well, you wouldn't find them and keep fucking looking!" Draco pointed out. I just stared at my feet, realising. Oops.

Oh, I could really feel free here, just with Draco and Blaise, when everyone else was practising Quidditch or doing homework…just laughing and joking. Banter. Just relaxing. Chinchilling.

There was a slight pause in the conversation so I began whisper-singing. "Malchik gay, malchik gay, malchik gay, malchik malchik malchik, malchik gay!"

"That's an interesting sound." Blaise raised his eyebrows. I said sarcastically, "Would you like a different song?"

He replied in the positive.

"Flying bullets, hit the targets, wings and halos, five to seven-"

"Right, stop, stop, stop. What the bloody hell is all this? Why are they talking about the time?" Draco asked, perplexed.

"Just enjoy the music." I hummed, swaying slightly. _Former body, future spirit._

"How? You sound like a cat that's being trodden on."

I rolled my eyes and concentrated hard. If I thought of all the different instruments, the songs, the words, the voices…

I pointed it at a glass apple paperweight (my wand, that is) and a shot of what looked like lightning shot through. I picked it up cautiously.

"It's still not edible." Blaise commented, but then slowly but surely, like an iPod in a dock, the apple began to play.

"I am the son….and the heir…of a shyness that is—"

"What?" Draco whispered.

"I put the music in it." I said simply.

"Nobody's ever done that before, transferred Muggle music into Hogwarts! How did you do it?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I thought about the instruments and the girls who sing it, it's a wordless spell. I've been practicing for a while. Scared the hell out of Ginny when Nine to Five started playing."

"I thought it was five to seven." Draco looked puzzled.

"No, that's 'White Robe' though of course the Russian version is 'Beliy Plaschik'-"

"Stop wittering, woman." Blaise told me.

Then I tapped the apple again and that eerie, mind provoking beautiful intro started up. It made me melt with dreadful delight.

_All the things she said running through my head…this is not enough…_

Blaise looked thoughtful.

_I keep asking myself wondering how I keep closing me eyes but I can't block you out._

And then the best bit of that song.

_I can try to pretend, I can try to forget, but it's driving me mad, going out of my heaaaaaad….._

"Yes, I lost my mind…" I hummed.

Draco blinked at _Daddy, lookin' at me, will I ever be free?_

I sighed at my magical apple.

_(Ooh! I can slip in more t.A.T.u moments now, muahahahaha! ;D So, how's it going? Hope nobody's too OOC, this is wonderful! Really fun, seriously. Keep reviewing! I love you all. DSOTM94)_


	16. Ya Soshla S Uma

_(Oh wowzee wow wow! You guys provide the best ever reviews in the history of fandom. How did I get forty odd reviews? I love you all. Seriously. Thanks to LemonCheese aka 'The Reference Spotting Machine', China Doll Maiden who agrees that Hermione is better with Blaise and Draco, though of course Blaise would find an innuendo there, and thank you also to AbbyGreenEyes, because I do love combining stuff! Another thanks to Ylime-Etak, I like to update quickly, so I know if I'm doing okay, haha. You're all so amazing. DSOTM94)_

February 14th. Ugh.

Oh no. One day, Draco said, "So Hermione…its Valentine's day soon."

"Commercial rubbish. You can't have one day to display your love or affection to someone."

"I'm afraid you can. In fact, there is a day. February the fourteenth, yes?"

"No…" I moaned.

"For pity's sake Granger, what's so wrong about one day where you can be affectionate to your significant other?" he asked.

"Because, every year for the past few…well, since for ever, I have been the only one in the hall not holding a fistful of garish cards, with a self congratulating smile. I am _not _going into the hall on Saturday!" I declared.

Of course, I ended up there. And we all had roses this year, that was the theme. _Roses_. All the happy little couples were going to be going out to Hogsmeade. Which included Ron and Lavender, and Harry was going to hang out with Seamus, and no, Harry is _not_ gay. Nor is Seamus.

I sighed, sitting at the table. Roses dropping into people's laps of every colour. Red? Well that signified pure love, of the romantic kind. Yellow was friendship, purple was sensual, sexual, lust, etc. Green was a peace offering. Pink was if you fancied them. Black…I don't really remember but it definitely had to do with sex. Okay, so I remember. Pure sex. Blue was friendly affection, bordering on fancying. Orange was if you were of the same sex.

I anonymously sent Draco a red one and a purple one. I attached a note that simply read: _ROR. Tonight. Midnight. You. Me. We. Us. _

He glanced up and dropped the subtlest wink ever. I looked around me. Ron was still in bed. And Harry. I was next to Ginny, and suddenly, the roses started arriving for the girls. Ginny had a fucking mountain of course. I got a red, yellow, purple, and black.

Black. I was willing to bet I knew who that was from. They _all _had little notes. Oh bloody hell. I gingerly picked up the yellow. In his black ink, he'd written, _I never needed a friend, like I do now._

Gomenasai, I realised.

The red.

_I am a human, and I need to be loved._

How Soon Is Now. I moved onto the purple.

_I want to be the object, object, object, object of your passion._

Malchik Gay.

I gingerly touched the black petals.

_I want her so much…_it simply read. I didn't think about All The Things She Said, I just stared at all these little notes.

"Wow, _Hermione_!"

Ginny had her fair share of black, a handful of purples and a littering of red.

"I know." I mumbled.

"Who?" she asked urgently, with interest, before adding, "I won't tell. Even if it was a Slytherin or something."

"Well, it's not 'or something.'" I muttered.

"So that's why Ron's been in such a bad mood!"

"Yep."

"There's only one Slytherin that—oh _Hermione._ What have you _done_?" she said in mock horror, before grinning, to show she didn't mind. Ginny had previously, secretly been with Blaise for a while in her fourth year. So she understood.

"Black?" her eyes widened.

"I know." I mumbled. "I'm in for it tonight."

"Have fun." She winked before returning to her pile.

Later on, in the Gryffindor common room, just after lunch, Draco sneaked in. "How did you know the password?" I asked.

"It's not too hard to guess. Love is such an overused word. It's because of the commercial value."

"And only a few days you were praising this day to the heavens!"

"How did you like your flowers?"

"I love them. But why friendship?"

"I got you the friendship one because I count you as a friend too, someone I can trust, and laugh with. Red because I think I really do love you, and you are the most unusual person I have ever met, who fascinates me. Purple is because of this." He pulled me in for a kiss.

I was left gasping, "And the black?"

"You need a demonstration?" he laughed without waiting for an answer, pushed me gently onto my bed. I gasped when he pressed his mouth to my bare chest, his fingers tracing my back once more.

You. Me. We. Us…

We'll run away if we must, but right now once again, it's all about us. If they hurt him, they'll hurt me too. So now I'm lying on the bed properly and without any words he's showing me what to do.

There's a mirror behind us.

"Look at us, Hermione." He whispers.

"Look at us, we're beautiful."

He just traces every part of my skin, and I kneel up, and trace 'I love you' into his back. "I love you too." He murmurs, and I smile at how sensitive he is.

The small of his back. The arm. The Dark Mark.

I shuddered.

"What's the matter?"

"I was just thinking of your dad."

"Oh, okay. Whatever works for you."

"No, no, not like that. Like-"

I traced his arm. He quivered. "Let's not talk about that."

I fell asleep in my bed after it all. When I woke, he was examining himself in the mirror. I slipped into the green nightie and padded along. "Better quality hair dye this time…more naturally blond. Sinister looks…better cufflinks this time, elongates the fingers-my idea. Slow blink…God, I'm gorgeous." I drawled in his voice.

"Very amusing." He smirked.

It was later on at night he dragged me down the stairs willingly, and I sat in the Room. "It's perfectly simple." He whispered.

"No, Draco, it's not. Whatever this is we have, it's not simple. But it's too late for me to care." I whispered, and he groaned on the bed…

"Stop it…" it was my turn to moan. "We've been at it for hours, if I could just _rest_-"

"Are my amazing sexual advances too much for you to handle?" he smirked, looking at my worn face.

"Well, we've been…well…I'm just a bit…you've paralysed me."

"All except for your mouth, obviously."

"Give me back my clothes."

"No."

I look at the mark on his arm. I can't tear my eyes away. "Draco…"

"Hermione, please."

I sit up. "One day you're going to come to the realisation that nothing you did or could ever do would please your father, or anyone like him. And you'll look around that day at the wife you despise and the children you don't talk to and the life you lead and most likely you'll feel like a total fuckwit." I tell him.

"Thanks, Hermione." He rolled his eyes.

I practically skipped into Potions the next day.

"Hi Dean," I said happily, we were given random partners to work with, to create a potion that allowed to speak a certain language. I chose Russian. No guesses why.

"You had sex didn't you?" he laughs at my good mood.

I miss a beat, then say calmly, "Good quote, that one."

"So what language did you choose?" he asks.

I take a sip, and begin to speak. "Russian."

"Why Russian?" he asked, puzzled, but this is a chance for me.

I try to shrug and say, "I dunno, I've lost my mind." But it swaps from my English to "Ya ne znayu, ya soshla s uma."

"_What?"_

"Ya soshla s uma…" I breathe, noticing the connection. "Menya polnustyu net, situastayia help, situastayia sos, pochemu, pochemu? Na tebyu povelas-"

"Oh, we've got a live one!" Slughorn leaped upon me. Harry looked slightly put out.

I wanted to talk in English, but I just went, "Ser, ya govoryu russkiĭ! Kak t.A.T.u! Eto udivitelʹno, ya znayu, chto ya govoryu!"

"Say what you were saying before, Hermione!"

I try to thik. "A oni govoryu yat vinovata sama, ya soshla s uma!"

"She's lost her mind." Draco shakes his head. This is fun. He's actually translating what I just said, but the others just think he's being horrible as usual.

"Tol'ko ne s nemi, tol'ko ne s nemi!"

"We can't understand you, Granger." Draco smirks, eyes twinkling. I have a think and go for, "Ya mogu popytatʹsya sdelatʹ vid, ya starayusʹ zabytʹ, no ona svodit menya s uma, vyhodya iz moyeĭ golovy!"

"Out of her head, what did I tell you?"

I glare.

But it's true. Over the last few days I'd thought.

I'd tried to pretend.

I'd tried to forget.

But the sad truth was, Draco was driving me mad with love.

I was going out of my heeeaaaaaaaaaad……

Yet, he whispered to me in the room, when he suggested we tell some more people, "My Granger, I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.  
A day may come when the courage of Gryffindor fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of our promises, but it is not this day."

I looked at him, tears pricking in my eyes.

"We're going to get through this. An hour of derogatory statements and shattered friendships, when reality comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight."

_(Wow, wonderful what a bit of music can do! I thought this chapter wasn't so good. Any tips on what might happen? I'm a little stuck, but sssh! I hope you liked it anyhoo, reviews would be loved! And eaten ;D DSOTM94)_


	17. Snake

_(Okay so when I was in Chemistry dying of boredom I decided to be productive, and no, I did not mean that I got on with revising the Haber Process-spare me please. I had a good long think, and I've decided there's going to be a sequel to this, I've not thought up the title yet but I'll let you know! I'll toss a few ideas around. Thanks so much to: LemonCheese of course, who always makes me smile, ChinaDollMaiden-I agree with you about V-day, so I'm glad it's not on a school day, and Ginny is indeed awesome. Thank you to Our Lady Of Dreams and thank you for pointing that out about protection actually, although for future reference, Draco performs a Silent spell, but he didn't tell Hermione the first time, which she got annoyed about ;D Cheers to AbbyGreenEyes and btw, I do love your username, haha. Thankies to Ylime Etak also, I shall take the suggestions into account, and see what I can do! Thank you all, everyone, I do love you all, and I must warn you, I have had some Dr Pepper and Fanta Ice Lemon along with B&J's Caramel Chew Chew so be warned if stuff is weirder thank usual, haha. DSOTM94)_

The spoon clanked in my bowl.

"Draco, try some."

"No. It looks weird."

"Ben and Jerry's are the only two men that really understand me."

"What about me?!"

"You said yourself you were more comfortable with 'bloke'."

"I understand you!"

"Just try the damn ice cream."

"Which one?"

"Both."

"Which one first, then?"

Draco hadn't told me that he'd used a Silent spell when we…ahem… 'did the deed' so I'd totally panicked, thinking I could be pregnant and now I was punishing him. With Caramel Chew Chew and Cookie Dough.

"Urgh…what is this stuff?!" he ladled it up and splotched it back into the bowl.

"You get this sort of stuff at Honeydukes! Come on Draco, am I going to have to feed you like a baby?"

"You're obsessed with them."

"You never told me you used the spell! Of course I was going to ask Ginny for the pill."

"That's such a Muggle thing though."

"It was my only choice!"

"Oh for God's sake…shouldn't you be helping the Wonderboys with their revision anyway? We've got exams soon, and stuff."

I flick some chocolate at him. "Am I being too clingy? We've not spoken properly in a week."

"I know, and when we do talk, I'm being tortured by all this sweet stuff. What the hell is 'Coke' anyway?"

"It's an incredibly sugary, incredibly addictive, unhealthy drink that's bad for your teeth."

"Why on earth drink it then?"

"As stated before, it's incredibly addictive. What gets confusing though is that a drug is called coke too, but without the capital 'C'. It's actually called cocaine, but I've never tried it and don't plan to."

"What does it do?" he asked with interest, chewing on a lump of actual cookie dough, from the tub. Just like I did.

"Well, cocaine makes you excited and confident. This buzz usually lasts from fifteen to thirty minutes. Users feel very awake and are unable to feel pain. We were taught about it in primary. There's bad stuff too, though."

"Oh?"

"Cocaine can cause heart problems, convulsions, paranoia and breathing problems. Very large doses can kill. Snorting cocaine causes permanent damage to the nose. Cocaine is addictive and regular users find they need to take more and more to achieve the same effect. When they stop taking it they're left feeling exhausted, depressed, anxious and restless."

"Convul-what?"

"Convulsions. Like seizures, or fits. D'you know what they are? No? Well, there's something in the Muggle world, an illness called epilepsy, it's not contagious, but it's like a short circuit in the brain, and it depends what type of epilepsy you have, but you have a seizure, which includes spasms, or your limbs jerking for a certain amount of time. Some people go unconscious, some don't."

"Wow, that's bad."

"Yeah, but our author's used to it." I decided that she had it. Maybe she did in real life, maybe she was telling me to say it in some subconscious way and was now slightly regretting it because she didn't want people to feel sorry for her or go '' because she's a normal person. Just like us, except not magical. Who knows?

"Does she?"

"Partial complex epilepsy. She's had it since she was born, and from the age of nine she's had the seizures, that's the term she prefers, and sometimes jokes about it, saying that she does the Hokey Cokey on the floor."

"Isn't that a Muggle dance?"

"You jerk your left leg up, you jerk your left leg down, up down up down, you shake it all about, you have an epileptic seizure and you roll around, that's what it's all about!"

"That's quite crude."

"She agrees, but she does it to be light hearted and pretend that she doesn't actually care about the seventy seven tablets a week, or even the specialist dentist, or the doctors she has to see, or the anaesthetic she's going to have this year."

"Will that affect her updating our story?" he said softly.

"No, because it's a local anaesthetic, so she'll be alright. She'll live. She always does. But now she feels she's being overdramatic so she's going to shut up."

"Right." He said quietly. I'd given him quite a lot to think about.

"I've forgiven you, by the way, about the Silent spell. I over reacted a bit."

"Just a little," he laughs. "no, I should have told you really. But call it even?"

"Sure."

I shook my head, shivering. "What is it?" he asked.

"I had a random chill down my spine."

"Yeah, ice cream does that to you." He said cheerfully.

"It was a premonition."

"Of what?"

"I…I dunno."

"Too much sugar, not enough sex."

"If I have sex with you now, I'll be sick!"

"Fair enough. But this won't cause any projectile vomiting will it?" he asked, sliding the shoulder of my top down, nibbling my neck.

"Your teeth are so cold! You don't chew the ice cream! It hurts your teeth, and you're supposed to savour the taste."

He mumbled indistinctly, and I sighed.

"This relationship is perfect, as far as I'm concerned. So are the nights."

"But not perfect," he corrected.

"Close to," I answered back.

"Let me show you something," he said. He stood up and reached in his pocket.

I propped up on one elbow, grinned and said, "I've seen that before, and it's nice, but not perfect."

"Ha!" he said sarcastically. "I'm not showing you my member, Granger, and by the way, it is perfect, and you know it."

"Ego…" I muttered. "That is so _not _funny…"

"Could you be quiet?"

And he produced a necklace. With a little green snake. "I know how much you like green." He said, eyes twinkling.

"Oh Draco, could this _be _any more beautiful?"

"Not if you turned it red. Or purple."

"Oh, it's amazing."

"Me and Blaise have been doing you in the common room." He said suddenly.

"I think I'd know if you were." I said dryly.

He began to do impressions of me. "The hills are alive with the sound…_of_ music. Could this _be_ any more dangerous?"

"I do _not_…I do _not_…I do no-oh shut up! It's Chandler Bing's fault." I protested to his laughter.

"Who's that?"

"Character in a sitcom called Friends. It's a form of entertainment, basically." I explained.

"You know what, sometimes I just want to fly you away, to somewhere it's just you and me, nobody else, so we can be free." He quoted Not Gonna Get Us, and I loved him for it.

_(Sorry guys I couldn't update last night, there was an incident where my mouse on the laptop stopped working because of my sister's water bottle. I have zero energy today, so I'm off school, I only just woke up and it's like quarter to four here, haha. Urgh. My laptop is working again though, so hurrah for that. Also thanks to headbangingtogreenday, you made my day, seriously. All these reviews are brilliant, keep them coming! Sorry this chapter's so short, but I thought I'd get this one up to put you out of your misery, seeming as you kinda like my stuff, which is amazing. Thank youuu, DSOTM94)_


	18. Poison and Hot Milk

_(Okay, so hopefully this chapter will be longer! I feel so ashamed of myself! Seriously, I slept so long today, but I have decided there is definitely gonna be a sequel, and I might do a prequel to it, if you want it. I've not had the chance to think of a title just yet but I've been throwing t.A.T.u lyrics around so soon enough there'll be an idea. And don't worry Our Lady of Dreams, things are gonna be shaken up soon! Hope you like this 'un. DSOTM94)_

Walking down the corridor, trying to ignore the sickly paranoia because of the looks I was given. I had other thing on my mind.

Ron.

It was March, and the sun was out, but I was freezing. _Oh, Ron, please be ok_. I begged as I was running now, to the hospital wing. My feet hit the ground and they expanded in that painful way, but I barely noticed.

"Quick thinking on your part Harry, using a bezoar." Dumbledore said quietly, looking at the silent Ron in a hospital bed. "You must be very proud of your student, Horace."

"Wha-oh yes, very proud." Slughorn said absentmindedly.

McGonagall was more specific.

"Well, I think we can agree, Potter's actions were heroic! The question is, _why _were they necessary?"

"Why indeed?" Dumbledore moved towards Slughorn.

"This appears to be a gift, Horace." He said conversationally. "You don't remember who gave you this bottle?" he took it from Slughorn's trembling hand.

He shook his head. "Which by the way possesses remarkably subtle hints of liquorice and cherry. But polluted with poison."

As Snape inspected it, Slughorn admitted, "Actually, I had intended to give it as a gift myself."

"To whom, I may ask?"

"To you, headmaster." Was uttered gravely.

What happened next was to go down in history.

"Where is he? Where's my Won-Won? Has he been asking for me?" that nasal, brittle voice was so unbearable, I longed to slap the stupid girl's face.

She'd ran around the teachers, squealing.

And then she saw me and her face changed to quickly it was slightly unnerving. "What's _she_ doing here?" Lavender breathed, pointing at me.

I stood up and defended myself. 2I might ask you the same question!"

"I _happen_ to be his _girlfriend_!"

"Well I happen to be his…_friend_."

"Don't make me laugh! You haven't spoken in _weeks_! I suppose you want to make up with him now he's all _interesting_!"

I couldn't believe it. "He's been _poisoned_, you daft dimbo! And for the record I've always found him interesting!"

Ron stirred. Breathing heavily, he slurred.

"Ah!" Lavender said triumphantly. "He senses my presence."

She moved closer and sucked in a big breath, before saying passionately (or so she thought, it was just bloody irritating in my opinion.), "Don't worry Won-Won, I'm here, I'm here…"

Ron mumbled something.

We both listened intently, I was concerned, and Lavender just looked blonde and so very annoying.

"Her…ba...der…." he muttered.

"Her….mio…ne…."

My eyes widened as he turned towards me unconsciously, "Her…mione.."

With a gasp and a scandalised look, Lavender ran out in tears, but to be honest I couldn't care less.

"Oh to be young," Dumbledore commented, "and to feel love's keen sting."

Oh no. Ron didn't like me like that. No way. I knew that.

"Come away, everybody. Mr Weasley is well tended."

As everyone moved away, Ginny muttered to Harry, "About time they made up, don't you think?"

He grinned.

I grinned back but whispered, "Oh shut up." And clasped Ron's hand.

As the whole room grew silent, I whispered to Ron. "I'm sorry. I do really love Draco. It's not to get back at you or anything…oh Ron, you have no idea how bad I feel now…who did this to you? Who…did this…to…you…" the breath was sucked out of me.

No. Please no.

"You said," I went on hoarsely, "You don't trust me, him. Us. So I thought I'd ignore you. But really, when it comes down to it, it's you and Harry. I am going to kill him, Ron. He hurt you, and I'm going to find him, and kill him."

I sent a note to Malfoy. "Room of Requirement NOW. You'd better be able to explain yourself."

When he arrived looking quite confused, I walked straight up to him, saying through gritted teeth, "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"About Ron being poisoned."

He went very pale.

"You did? I've been mulling over suspects, you know."

I slapped his face. He barely flinched.

"How dare you. Ron is one of the kindest, funniest, most _genuine_ people I know. You? You almost killed him. If Harry hadn't saved him, he could be dead right now!" I screamed.

"He's not dead. That poisoned mead wasn't even _supposed_ to be for him, anyway."

"Oh? Oh? So you know who it was for?"

He didn't reply to that.

"Think about it Hermione, he has been ignoring you all these weeks-"

"Shut up." I warned.

"and I don't believe it. You're actually defending him-"

"Draco, I'm warning you.."

"like he hasn't done anything to deserve what he got."

That did it. "I'm going right now. I'm going to see Dumbledore to warn him about the _murderer_ we have in school." I spat. "I bet Harry and Ron were right. This is part of your sick, twisted plan. You want to kill me."

I turned to push the doors open and run to Dumbledore.

Hands were clamped upon me from behind and the boy from the opposing house brought me down. He forced my knees to the wooden floor and suffered the penalty. He collected my punches as if they were presents. My bony hands and elbows were accepted with nothing but a few short moans. He accumulated the loud, clumsy specks of saliva and tears as if they were lovely to his face, and more important, he was able to hold me down. It was important to him, anyway.

You could say, that at face value, Draco Malfoy was your average teenage bullshit artist. As he whispered, almost broken (I wonder how much acting that took, hmm?) "Don't say anything. Please. I have to do this, don't you see. I have to kill him…or he's gonna kill me."

I have to say that although it broke my heart, I was, and still am, glad I was there. It explained a lot afterwards, but it was oh-so difficult to go on like nothing was going to happen. How hard could it be?

Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. That was how things went, most of the time. Sometimes I cracked under the pressure and cried in bed. Sometimes I wasn't quiet enough and sobbed out incoherent, meaningless sentences to Ginny. "Draco…I don't know what to do…he said…I…." and so on.

She knew something dark was lurking underneath the surface, but she was afraid of what might happen if she asked me.

_Nobody else, so we can be free…._

The days grew warmer, and the tension grew higher.

Something was going to happen, in the end.

It could be good.

It could be bad.

It could be euphoric.

It could be a complete and utter disaster.

Who knew?

Times like these, dark times, they can bring people together. They can tear them apart. This was beyond anything I imagined. I had to realise who I was, but I didn't know who that was anymore.

I wanted to love Draco, I didn't want him to be in anyway connected with Voldemort, who was he trying to kill?

I begged him one night to tell me, but he smiled, his silver eyes warm, lighting up, so much and he told me, "It's been taken care of, don't worry."

And then he kissed my mouth lightly, and broke away, noticing I was humming.

"You listen to that apple way too often. You're bloody obsessed."

"I am not."

"You are."

"Prove it."

"Former body, future spirit."

"White Robe." I said automatically. Then I realised. "Look, that's just one example, and you only chose that because I was humming that particular one!"

"Okay, well, I know I let you down."

"Gomenasai."

"Nyebo uronit, noch' na ladoni!"

"Nas ne dagonyat." I answered, before he could continue.

Then he altered it a little. "I can try to pretend, I can try to-" then he paused. I caught on.

"Forget, but it's driving me mad, going out of my heaaaaaad…." I held the note and he rolled his eyes.

"Typical. Well, we should get to bed." He patted the bed. I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm just…not in the mood. I dunno. Maybe something's changed. Maybe I need a change. It's getting a little repetitive."

His eyes widened in outrage. "For your information-"

"For your information, I'm going to go to sleep now okay thanks, bye." I said and locked the door as I demurely slipped into a normal nightie (which was white, so fairly neutral) and brushed my teeth. After a quick shower, I came out humming, "Flying bullets, hit the targets, wings and halo-"

"So let me get this right-"

"I'm giving you no sex and I'm going to be listening to t.A.T.u all night, yes."

I smirked at him, glad to be in control for a change.

As the lights dimmed and I closed my eyes, it was only ten minutes before Draco nudged me. "Hermione." He whispered.

I was so tired.

"She's sleeping." I muttered into the pillow.

"I know, just quick-quick question, quick question. Which one was Frodo and which one was Gollum?"

Luna was a Lord of the Rings fan. He'd probably overheard her going on about it to a fascinated Blaise.

"Frodo's the midget Cornish pixie thing. Gollum's the evil one, and you're going to have the same fate as him if you wake me up."

"Sorry, I just…can't sleep. Ooh!" he lightened the room and I groaned.

"Where is that book that you are reading with the ribbon which was all red and like, like tearing into two? Every time I look at that cover I'm like…" he began to fake snore.

"I think it's in the kitchen there is also a light! And no one will kick you in the shin."

"What? Hey-ow!"

He stumbled out of bed and went along to the kitchen.

I got sick of all the rattling about and decided to see if Draco had gotten covered in butter or something, and before any of you say anything, I did not mean that in a sexual way.

Draco had a jug of milk in his hands and as far as I could tell, he'd decided to make some warm milk. He opened up a cabinet and managed to knock several pots onto the floor, making a lot of noise.

"Shhhhhhhhh!!!" he hissed. I rolled my eyes.

He noticed. "I'm sorry, I thought maybe I'd make some warm milk and it would help me sleep."

"With a wok?"

He put it to the side and I continued, "I thought you were going to read my boring book to put you asleep."

"It got interesting. Damn that Jacob!"

"Here, let me make the milk, I'm up anyway."

"Hey, y'know what we can do? Y'know, now that we are up? We can just like talk to each other all night long, y'know like we did when we were first together. It'd be fun!"

"Okay that does sound like fun." I agreed.

"Okay, so what did you think when Bella kissed Jacob?"

"_Bella kisses Jacob?!_"

A pause.

"No. No, I-I was, I was talking about the book I was reading." He amended.

I raised my eyebrows. "A human girl kisses a werewolf in yesterday's edition of The Daily Prophet?"

"That's correct."

I could only shake my head at him. He left to go back to bed as I prepared the milk. _Funny_, I thought. _You only really think about little kids having mugs of hot milk, not misunderstood Slytherin teenage boys. Especially not Draco._

I entered the bedroom once more. I was so glad the room could create more than one actual room. It was good. "Okay, here's your milk. What do you want to talk about?" I said happily as I saw Draco. Had fallen. Asleep.

I slammed the door loudly to wake him up. "What? What? What?" he said, startled.

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry Draco, did I wake you? I'm sorry. Here."

I handed him the mug of milk.

A while later, his eyes were closed and I was fully awake. "Are you still awake?" I asked.

"Yeah! You?"

"You do know that was me who just said that right?" I lightened the room, causing him to properly wake up. "Hey. As long as we're both up…"

Intrigued, Draco went, "Yeah?"

I nodded.

"I hope you're not talking about checking through all my homework."

I smacked him lightly.

I yawned. I fell asleep with Draco fidgeting around.

I woke up. Draco woke me up by turning the bloody light on.

"What?! What are you doing?!"

"Do you know what just happened?" he asked, with an offended tone.

"Yeah. We-we had sex and then we fell asleep." I mumbled.

"No. We were in the middle of sex…and _you_ fell asleep."

"Nooo! No, that's not true. No, best time ever! Yeah, you rocked my world!" I turned the light off so I could get back to sleep.

"Hermione?"

"Mhm?"

"I was giving you some of my best moves, and you missed it. So please wake up so _we_ can do it right!"

"Okay. Okay, I'm ready. Come on, you-Slytherin-you."

"Okay!"

I was drifting off to sleep again. "No! No! No! Don't fall asleep! Okay, I am going to make you some coffee."

I didn't move as he got out of bed.

"And I won't leave a mug ring on top of your five rolls of parchment long essay about the good and bad effects of Felix Felicis."

"Okay, I'm up, I'm up!" I jumped out of bed.

A nice long time later, I was cuddling my boyfriend Draco Malfoy. "That really was some of your best work."

"Hm-hmm, I told you!" he checked the clock. "I can't believe I've only got two hours before I say I'm sick and therefore can't go to Charms."

"I have to be up in seven minutes." I commented, glancing at it too.

A slow smile spread across his lovely, bastard face. _You bastard_. I thought. _You lovely, lovely bastard._

"Well, you're not gonna believe this, but if you have seven minutes…" he let me decide the rest.

"Really?" I smiled too.

"Do you want to?"

"Okay! I'll get the quills, you get the homework!" I sprang up, leaving him behind.

_(Haha, I did enjoy that chapter. So, will Hermione keep on enjoying her musical apple and occasionally Chandler-like boyfriend? Stay tuned, for more of 'No Other Choice'! All the reviews are lovely, and a belated happy birthday to ChinaDollMaiden! Keep reviewing kidz. DSOTM94)_


	19. An Ivory Corpse

_(Ohmy. How did I get these lovely reviews? I'll do my very best to update a lot. Just something you all should know, I'm thinking the prequel to the sequel will be in Draco's POV. Just to shake things up a little, and the sequel may be delayed as I've had some ideas for oneshots. But thank you guys so very much, I love you all. Keep watching, kidz. DOTM94)_

I was on a happy high for most of the time.

I say 'most of the time'. Sometimes there'd be an argument and then he'd go all Gomenasai on me. There were different days. I don't mean like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…I mean, today was what I refer to as one of his 'cold days', where he treats me with nothing but indifference. He also has his 'loving days', which are brilliant and feature lots of touching and soft looks and whispers in my ear, and his 'lusty days', which…well, you know.

Then there's the 'panicky days', where he starts thinking about the future and how we could never work in the real world and all that crap, and least frequent but utterly sublime are the 'carefree days.' Then it's just me and him in each other's arms and all the rest falls away. Surprisingly, he doesn't have jealous days. A lot of people assume that he's a very jealous person, but he's just…not. Not even of Ron, which even I found a bit shocking at first.

But anyway. I woke up that school morning the day a lot changed. It was, oh, it was the day Ron recovered enough to go back to classes. Yesterday had been beautiful. Really beautiful. A Sunday where I'd managed to get through all my homework-and Draco's-in under two hours which was a record even for me, and then, as Draco said himself, "We can do anything now."

"Ha!" I laughed. "Is that my nickname now? 'Thing'?"

I'd hung out with him and Blaise, and confessed that I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was older. "Hey, you both know what you want to do. You know, you have goals. You have dreams. I don't have a dream."

Blaise commented, "Ah, the lesser known, 'I Don't Have A Dream' speech."

I shook my head at him. Draco complained about his father.

"He called me 'young man'" he shook his head.

"Oh, I hate it when my dad says that to me." I said wittily.

"You know…" Blaise said thoughtfully. I looked up.

"I think you guys should tell people."

"Tell people what?" I said deliberately.

"That you're together."

"What?!" I shouted. "Have you completely lost your _mind_?!"

"You're the one who listens to Ya Soshl-"

"Okay, okay, two words, Blaise. Shut. Up."

"I'm going to go see Luna. Have fun guys." He winked suggestively and I sighed, falling back into Draco's arms.

"Should we really tell people?" I ask.

"I'm not so good with the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

I closed my eyes.

"I think…I think…I think you should decide." I mumble, too tired to think.

"I think we should tell them tomorrow."

"_What?!"_

I stood up. "Are you serious?"

"Well, we like each other; it's been three months now."

We continued to go around in circles for hours, which ended in Draco sending an owl asking Blaise if he wanted to have a little party in the common room, as all the Slytherins were elsewhere that night.

He agreed to meet us, with supplies, at nine.

He arrived at half past.

I said sternly, "You're late."

Before Blaise could reply, Luna said in a sing song voice, "A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he needs to."

Blaise grinned sheepishly. "We got distracted."

"Oh?" Draco raised an eyebrow and I looked meaningfully at Luna, but not a thing was given away.

"So, is it another night of witty conversation?" Blaise grinned at me.

"Well, only if you're up to it." I threw back at him.

"I'm quite lucky, because I've got a small, decorative concrete pig." Luna said suddenly.

"Drinks, anyone?" Draco said quickly.

If you wanted to ask me what the most interesting quote of the night was, it'd be Luna. "Cannabis? It's harmless really, unless you fashion it into a club and beat somebody over the head with it."

She was pure amazing. She even allowed Blaise to kiss her cheek, which was something to see indeed, and I ferreted around in the room and found a book on all the countries of the world.

"Pick one randomly, Hermione. Then we'll test you on that country." Draco grinned. I rolled my eyes and opened the book at a random page.

"Look at this flag; Two bears fighting over a pineapple. What kind of message does that send to the world? 'Come to Belarus, where wild animals steal your fruit'"

They all laughed, but the one that found the hilarity the most amusing, was Luna. Such a scream of mirth that she had to cling on to the sofa and Blaise just looked on at his beautiful (if slightly odd) girlfriend.

"Enlighten us Luna." He smiled genuinely, interested. We were discussing conspiracies.

"There are tiny cameras in ham...They're called 'Hameras'." She told us. I blinked.

"Luna?" I asked.

"Yes?" she smiled.

"How do people react, knowing that you're with Blaise?" I dared ask.

"Well, of course there are the ignorant people. But I don't mind. I'm happy with Blaise. Of course he's not perfect, nobody is, but who wants someone perfect?" she shrugged, casually.

How true. Couldn't have been put better.

"I think…" I said, steadying myself, "that we should tell everyone tomorrow."

"Why should we tell them? Why not just be together and let them see for themselves?" Draco suggested.

"Who are 'they'?" Blaise asked interestedly.

"Everyone." Draco and I said together.

"You must be very brave." Luna said suddenly. I looked at her.

"Well, think about it, you're the unlikeliest match ever. You're a Muggle born-though of course, I'm not labelling you- and Draco's known for insulting them."

"I haven't done for ages!" Draco complained.

I nodded at Luna. "You're right."

"So, tomorrow." He decided.

"I'll sit with you at your table?"

"I'll sit with you, too." Blaise decided.

"Me too." Luna said vaguely, drifting as if in a dream, leaning out of the window.

That was a perfect day. Luna came up to me in the morning, and her eyes were bright with excitement, her silvery eyes shining. "Hermione!" she said in a hushed tone at the door.

"What is it?" I leaned in.

"Well, Blaise and I…we, he kissed me. It was rather pleasant."

"On the mouth?"

"Yes. He seemed rather nervous though. I'm not sure why, he's never minded with other girls."

"He must have wanted to make an effort with you." I said honestly and Luna beamed.

"That's nice."

"Where's Draco?" I asked, peering around her.

"Oh yes, he said he had to go and sort something out, he looked a little upset actually. He told me he'd be down soon." Luna's eyes focused.

"I'll wait at the Gryffindor table until he comes down. Then everyone will see." I said firmly.

"That's a good idea. I'll be waiting with Blaise."

She skipped off.

I sat, as Ron made it snow, and Katie Bell arrived, and Harry talked to her.

"…I've been trying to remember, honestly, but I just…can't." she said hopelessly and Harry nodded. Then he turned. His face set in such a way, that I turned as well.

"Fffff—"

It was Draco, he'd managed to forget his robes, and when he saw Harry, he looked…scared? There was a flicker of fear.

Ron carried on spooning sausages into his mouth, unconcerned.

I decided to go running after them. Harry was legging it after Draco, fast. It couldn't be good. But if I caught up with them, nothing too bad could happen. As long as I got there in time.

I didn't.

I just heard a cry of "Sectumsempra!" and a fall. I knew it was bad when I saw blood oozing out of the boys' bathroom. I crashed to my knees just as Snape glided past. "Sir…" I wheezed and he seized my wrist, pulling me up. I pointed numbly at the blood, and stood by the door as he swept in. Harry was left holding his wand.

"No…" I whispered. The sticky claret on the floor was on my shoes, mingling with the water. Slashes in a shirt. Gurgled moans.

_Fear is the enemy. Hold on tight. Hold onto me._

He wasn't a white as a sheet, or as pale as a bone. He was an ivory corpse.

Draco Malfoy was lying, half consciously crying, the dark tears coursing down his face helplessly, as the blood kept on flowing. There was so much. The gashes were deep and long.

_If they hurt you, they hurt me too._

Harry was suddenly very _there_ beside me. I shuddered at the blood and realised suddenly, tears were sliding down my cheeks too. But there was so much red…Harry's wand had carved the skin of Draco Malfoy, and then the sickly, nauseating fact rose up in my throat like vomit.

He was dead.

_(Oh my God, I loved writing this chapter! Things are getting more serious, and things are drawing to a close for now-only a few more chappies to go! Then I promise a prequel to the sequel, but I might not do the sequel for a while, my GCSEs are forever looming like a dark shadow, which disappears into the night, so I may only have time for oneshots, but I promise ya, I will do the sequel at a point, but it might take a while! Thank you ever so muchly to: LemonCheese, who always notices how awesome Friends is, Thanks to , I do prefer HP to Twilight, but Team Jacob anyways! And thank youuu to ChinaDollMaiden, I'm very flattered, haha. Cheers to AbbyGreenEyes, you never fail to cheer me up! And another amazing thanks to Ylime-Etak! Keep the reviews coming, I need motivation, 'specially with Chemistry and physics exams on Monday and Weds! DSOTM94)_


	20. Through The Darkness

_(Oh wowee, LemonCheese has an awesome new word-Drandler! Perfect! I laughed at you all screaming at the fact I left you on a cliffhanger. Literally lol'd. Also, my chemistry exam went alright, and I may get a C. Damn compulsory science *sulks* but anyhoo, thank you to all the usuals- ChinaDollMaiden, Weasley-Basher, I'm glad to see Darkness Approaches is back with us again, hugs to AbbyGreenEyes, Dreadfuldelights, a Thankies to Ylime-Etak too! Headbangingtogreenday I bet you'd be a great Luna, haha. You're all so damn cool! Let's watch the scene unfold…DSOTM94)_

Snape tended to him, murmuring unknown words, as Harry looked at the fate of using unknown spells.

I was breathing unevenly, but I didn't care. I kneeled down on the soaking wet floor, about to touch Draco's bloodless hand, but Harry yanked me up and dragged me away. He stumbled and suddenly it was me doing the dragging. I was dragging a possible murderer back to the common room. I was suddenly afraid and dropped the clammy hand that did the deed.

I managed to speak clearly, but haltingly to Ginny and Ron. "I followed Harry when he saw Draco. They were duelling. Then Harry used a spell he didn't know about…and blood, so much blood was everywhere…"

My knees sagged, and Ron ran forward. "'S alright, 'Mione. It'll be okay." He whispered, a knee-jerk reaction at seeing me upset.

Is he dead? Or will he survive?

To live, or not to live.

That was indeed the question, I was running on the edge of a very sharp knife, and we all sat silent, Harry morose, staring at his feet. Ginny rose up. She sat beside him.

Two sentences.

"We have to get rid of it. Today."

That book, that stupid, dangerous book had possibly killed Draco. _Please God, no_. I begged.

I made endless bargains, wishes, and ridiculous plans, if only Draco could stay alive. When I could stand it no longer, I put my hand up in Arithmancy and said I felt ill. Professor Vector took one look at me and swiftly nodded.

I didn't go to Madam Pomfrey. I didn't go to the Gryffindor common room. I decided to go see Blaise. He'd managed to slip out of lessons, as he was in my Arithmancy, but I knew he wasn't ill.

"How, how is he?" he whispered when I snuck into the dormitory and found him lying on his bed, on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him. I tried at break going to the hospital wing but nobody's allowed to see him yet." I explained.

"And Luna's gone on holiday early for Easter." He sighed. "We're both stuck without our significant others. I guess we'll just have to make do with each other for now-oh, don't be silly, Hermione." He said irritably.

"Sorry." I leaned on the door.

"No, it's alright. We're both going to be stressed right now, obviously. But, everyone's going to the Room tonight to get pissed on vodka and God knows what else, so it's just going to be me and you. And the magical apple, of course." He grinned.

Once you cared about Draco, it was impossible to think straight anymore.

"Which bed should I take?" I asked.

"Not Theodore's. He wanks in bed. Look at the sheets." He informed me. I dropped the blanket.

"I'm not going near Crabbe or Goyle's." I said simply. The other beds just looked slimy and altogether _Slytherin_.

"I wouldn't trust the girls. Apart from Millicent. She's okay, but still, I'd rather we be together. I mean as friends. Just, I think you need a bit of comforting. You can trust me, right?"

"If Luna can, I can." I replied, and he hugged me, pressing my shoulder blades lightly.

So we at there and tried to think of a million ways to pass the time.

Yes, I was getting off lessons and sitting with Blaise, his arm carelessly around me. You never know how much time you'll have. We just talked about anything and everything, my boyfriend's best friend. A lazy flick of a wand and some drinks appeared but we hardly touched them.

I was just tired. I wanted everything to be back to normal-or as normal as it had been, before Harry….Harry….

The night arrived with appalling haste, and I slipped into green pyjamas, and then realised my mistake when I went back into the room.

"So I'm wearing green!" I shouted at Blaise who was grinning like a cat that got the low fat cream.

"Oh yeah? Oh, I never noticed."

"You bloody did." I said, slipping into a bed next to him. The legs collapsed and I ended up on the floor. Weirdly, when I stepped up, it restored itself. I sat on a mattress of another bed but it pushed me off again, somehow.

"Let me guess," I aid to the smirking Blaise, who was running his hands through his black hair, "You Slytherins are so paranoid you put defence mechanisms on your own beds?!"

"Apart from me." He shrugged. "Hop in, Granger."

"Do I have to?"

I knew Blaise was just being friendly, not flirty. He liked to _pretend _to flirt, just to mess with my mind but I'd grown wise to that, I knew he was utterly loyal to Luna and would murder anyone who lay a hand on her. But still. This was Blaise. Boyfriend's best mate.

He grabbed my wrist and just yanked me in.

"Your feet are freezing!" he complained.

"Oh stop whining, it could be a lot worse."

"Could it?"

"I could do this-" I put my feet right up on his back.

"Oh my God, never ever do that again!"

I sighed and slowly realised all the Slytherins had double beds. I wonder why. Note the words are dripping with sarcasm.

"So, Hermione…" he turned over and licked his lips, looking at me.

"You did not just do that."

"Oh but I think I did." He grinned.

"What's up?" he asked, as if he was innocent of anything.  
"What isn't?" I muttered and watched him parade around the room, closing the curtains.

"And put some bloody clothes on, they're going to think you've been--"  
"Seducing you?"-I could hear his flirty smile. How was that possible?  
"Probably. You're in silk boxers for Christ's sake!"  
"I could get rid of them if you like."  
"Yes, do." I said without thinking, and then I shook my head. He laughed.

"Thinking of Draco?" he asked kindly. I nodded.

"I don't blame you. He is quite…well, I can see why you find him appealing."

"I can see why you find Luna appealing." I replied.

He nodded and spoke with obvious love in his voice. "She's one of a kind."

"Good. I'm going to the hospital wing."

"I'll come with you." He said, sure of himself. I pulled on my white robe.

"What time is it?" I asked as we walked through the darkness.

"It's not five to seven." He smiled, and I had to grin at that.

But the old sickly feeling I'd began to know and –well, not love, but get used to –had popped up again.

When we arrived, Madam Pomfrey simply nodded at us. "Be quick." And she retired to bed.

Draco?

I did more than mouth the word now. "Draco?"  
He lay with white-blond hair and closed eyes, and I ran toward him and fell down. I dropped the glass apple. "Draco," I sobbed, "wake up...." I grabbed him by the shirt and gave him just the slightest disbelieving shake. "Wake up, Draco," and now, as the sky went on flooding and dispersing not only water, but despair and regret, I was holding Draco Malfoy's shirt by the front. "Draco, please." The tears grappled with my face. "Draco, please, wake up, Goddamn it, wake up, I love you. Come on, Draco, come on, Dragon, don't you know I love you, wake up, wake up, wake up...."

But nothing cared.

The water just climbed higher. Words with thought. A beautiful tear-stomped girl, shaking the dead.  
"Come on, Draco, please-"

But the boy did not wake.  
In disbelief, I buried my head into Draco's chest. I held his limp body, trying to keep him from lolling back, until I needed to return him to the equally limp mattress. I did it gently.

Slow. Slow.  
"God, Draco..."  
I leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and I kissed Draco, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of curtains and in the glow of the Christmas Eve dawn. I kissed him long and soft, and when I pulled myself away, I touched his mouth with my fingers. My hands were trembling, my lips were fleshy, and I leaned in once more, this time losing control and misjudging it.

I'm not afraid of happy endings, I'm just afraid my life won't work that way.

I traced his hand, that oh-so-pale hand, although it wasn't as colourless as it had been before. A wisp of air escaped his lips. Or was it my imagination?

I am human and I need to be loved.

Just like everybody else does.

And you cry.

And you want to die.

It was too late. Harry had killed him. Blaise was standing by the door.

It kills me sometimes, how people die.

But now was not the time. Not for this soul. It was a damaged soul, but still fighting.

"Do you remember the mirror, Draco? Do you remember the first night? New Year? Former body, future spirit. Malchik gay. Ya Soshla S Uma. Flying bullets, hit the targets. Paragliding, back to heaven. Oh, it annoyed you when I sang-"

"Still does." He muttered.

Time stood still. My heart hurt.

Was I hallucinating?

"'Fraid not, Granger." He peeked up at me. "I'm staying alive."

"Oh thank God! I am going to kill Harry, I swear-I'm so so glad you're alive…" I sobbed on his chest.

"So am I." he said quietly.

_(You didn't really think I was gonna kill Draco off did you? I could never, ever do that. Thank you to all the usual awesome people, and of course to t.A.T.u for inspiration, and all these frickin reviews! Seventy of them! I've got to start preparing the prequel now, as there's not so many chapters to go until No Other Choice is finished! Oh, it's been wonderful, so much support for my first fanfic! I have to thank you all. I love you all. Seriously. DSOTM94)_


	21. One Last Moment

_(Oh Fffff- the amount of reviews I saw I had just now freaked me out so much. Eeek! Thank you very very much to LemonCheese of course, and Darkness Approaches, you guys are the absolute best! Even though I have a Physics exam tomorrow, you keep me smiling. ChinaDollMaiden-I couldn't have killed him off, but I couldn't resist a cliffhanger lol. Thank you also to Weasley-Basher, and AbbyGreenEyes. To answer your question Lizzle1661, I'm going to have the prequel up as soon as humanly possible. I'll try and get it up by the end of this week, but who knows; maybe it'll be up before I published this chapter! I have to say to Darkness Approaches, the reviewing being constant is not a bad thing. It's wonderful. And I'm glad you've taken the time to give me your advice and thoughts! Cheers to Kimiko16 and also to Ylime-Etak! You're all amazing beyond words! DSOTM94)_

I cannot express the relief at Draco having survived. But he was going to be in the hospital for a long time. Luna was back, and she visited too. I slipped in whenever I could. Even if it was between lessons, I just stuck my head around the door to see whether he was conscious or not. I noted the glass apple was beside his bed now, on the table. At lunchtime, I bolted my dinner down in a matter of minutes, the sausages barely chewed, and the chips hardly digested. _Drink first, next time_. I decided, as I panted along to the hospital wing, again saying I'd be in the library to the boys. They didn't dare set foot in there unless they had to. It was comical, really. Except this was no laughing matter. Draco was going to live, but sometimes he just lay there without any life in him, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hermione…" Harry started up, one night, in a weary, I-don't-want-to-do-this tone.

"Mm?" I mumbled, checking through some homework. That day had been okay, one of the good ones, in a long time.

"You weren't in the library at lunch."

"What? Yes I was. I was doing my homework for Professor Vector, drawing up some charts."

Actually, I'd done it in the lesson, but I wasn't about to let him know that.

"No. Because me and Ron looked."

"Must've been when I was in the loo or something."

"Or something." Ron rolled his eyes. I opened my mouth but Harry stopped me.

"We checked. You were talking to Mal-"

"Draco. In the hospital wing. Yes, I was. In case you hadn't noticed, he could have died and because I do care for him-it's not sexual lust, well, not just that, Ron do not pull that face! But yes, I care for him and I like to check that he's alright. It must get boring, just lying there, alone."

"It could be worse than it look." Harry muttered sullenly, but I stopped him.

"Don't you try and defend yourself, you saw it. I saw it. The blood. The gashes. He is bleeding. He is unconscious. Don't look away Harry. Try and think about that. What if you had killed him?"

He didn't reply to that, and I stormed to bed, fuming. I couldn't stay still. I thought about it for a moment, and decided, I'd do it. I slipped on my famous white robe, and slipped through the darkness once more. Draco. He was awake. Lyrics running through both our heads.

Nothing could have persuaded me to have let Draco's hand go, even when I assumed he was delirious and kept going on about a job he'd been given to do, how much he didn't want to do it.

"You don't have to." I said softly. "If you don't want to then it's your choice."

He settled after that, and asked me once again to whisper the lyrics of a song. I didn't know which one to choose. In the end, I decided on that one I really did love.

"Feeling ugly, looking pretty…yellow ribbons, black graffiti…" I started easily.

_Word is written, bond is broken._

"No big secret left unspoken." I hummed.

_Sun is painted in the corner_. "But it's never getting warmer." He shivered as I mouthed the words.

"All the lies they keep on selling, but you never check the spelling."

_Flying bullets, hit the targets_

_Wings and halos_

_Five to seven_

_In the white robe_

_Through the darkness_

_Paragliding back to heaven._

"Open doors for dead man walking." I shuddered at the sudden thought.

Maybe Ner Ver, Ne Boisya but in English.

"Someone will tire, and someone will want no more…"

"Someone like you, and someone like me."

"Someone will leave, someone will come back…"

Was I predicting the future?

Hmm.

"I am the son, and the heir." He smiled weakly, and continued, "Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar. I am the son and the heir, of nothing in particular."

"You shut your mouth!" I went on. "How can you say, I go about things the wrong way? I am a human and I need to be loved!"

"Just like everybody else does." He finished. I had a think.

"They…say….they don't….trust…you…me…we…us…"

"It's all about…it's all about…" his throat was dry.

"Run away if we must, 'cause ya know it's all about us. If, they hurt you, they hurt me too."

"So. We'll rise, up, won't stop, and it's all about...all about…" I caught snatches of song.

"They don't know, they can't see…who we are…fear is the enemy…"

"I can try to pretend, I can try to forget, but it's driving me mad, going out of my head…"

As I traditionally found my way into the bed with him, he lay there, and asked hoarsely, "Do you remember how - how I was always taking care of you when you were upset?"

I smiled gently. "Well, it's my turn to take care of you now."

"It doesn't matter anymore, not really."

"No! You can't leave me here."

He looked at me, fully conscious, fully aware and spoke clearly. "Tell me a story, Hermione. I used to love your stories. The way you weaved the lyrics into something you could write down…"

"t.A.T.u's songs were always much better to listen to, not my rubbish. Oh, what is the world coming to?" I whispered, dabbing his head gently with a damp cloth. There was still a bit of the old Draco, still fighting, as he nudged it away.

"But you're still going to be a writer though, aren't you? And they'd like that. Do you remember how we talked about it? About - about what we were going to do, after the war?"

I couldn't believe he'd remembered the conversation. But then again, there was a lot I couldn't believe these days.

"And what were you going to be?" I murmured.

"I can't - I can't remember." He coughed.

"Yes you can! You have to! You never told me…" I urged him.

"Tell me where you were going to travel, Hermione." He breathed.

"Paris or Amsterdam, that's where I'm going. To see the world."

He repeated, almost to himself, "To see the world..."

I can't remember when I fell asleep. Maybe it was all a dream, but I remember Ginny coming in and finding me curled up at the end of the bed. She half carried, half led me back to bed.

"Something's going to happen Ginny…" I mumbled. "Something bad."

"Mm. Shush now. You need some sleep."

And then, the day everything really did change. Especially the night.

That was the last conversation I ever had with him.

Oh, so many thoughts. So many words. As with all bad days, it started with apparent happiness.

I wanted to cry at the end, but I couldn't. I wasn't allowed. I had to hold it together. But how was I to know, as it was a boiling hot summer's day. June, I think. Yes, it was June, and Harry and Ron insisted I spend some time with them, not Draco, not Blaise, not Luna, them.

I decided, okay. I would. Ginny was with Harry now, and he did seem to be more mentally stable. Thank God. I was humming t.A.T.u still, but Draco was on the mend, I was sure, and the day was long and cloudless and blue and beautifully warm. I was bouncing in my school shoes.

"Someone's in a good mood!" Blaise commented as I practically skipped past him. I gave him a look of delight, so cheerfully that he grinned back, and Luna looked up serenely. "I think it's nice."

"I've been stolen by Harry, Ron and Ginny, by the way. I'll see if I can sit by you at lunch, but I can't guarantee anything. If that fails, meet at about tennish, in the Room?"

"Ah, sounds good! Have fun with lightning bold, old ginger and…" he tried to think of a suitably hilarious nickname for Ginny.

"Ah, forget it. Have fun, anyway." He told me, as Ron hopped about impatiently.

"I think everything's going to look up from now on." Luna's eyes and voice were clear.

"It better had do!" I laughed freely and sprang after Ron, Harry and Gin.

We ended up having food outside, and even my favourite odd comfort food appeared, grapes and chocolate cake.

"Haha!" Ron gaped, laughing. "Giant cake and tiny bunches of grapes. What a combo."

I stuck my tongue out, and then to both the boys' amazement, tossed a grape in the air and caught it in my mouth.

"I thought only boys could do that!" Ron exclaimed.

"Sexist nonsense." I scoffed.

"But seriously, I've never seen a girl-"

"Yo, I'mma let you finish," Ginny started in an American accent, "but Hermione Granger is the cleverest girl OF ALL TIME!"

I rolled my eyes. "Nobody is ever going to say a sentence like that, ever. Not even in like 2009. Especially not September 13th, 2009."

"You're so random." Ginny told me.

I shrugged, and the best part was when Ginny shoved some cake in Ron's face for making a derogatory statement about me, Draco and what we did in our spare time. I laughed harder than I had done in ages, and the sun blazed in the sky.

"I should do some revision." Ginny groaned theatrically, rolling her eyes at the drama, and standing up.

"Have fun!" I called, and at the look on her face, I grinned widely.

Oh, and just talking with the boys, pretending Draco wasn't in my mind, and just making jokes (Though secretly, Blaise's and Draco's were funnier…) with each other…and at tea I was dragged along to the common room and I went along with it, thinking about ten o'clock. It'd be here soon enough.

It was sunset when Harry was sent for by Dumbledore. It was just me and Ron speculating about what they might be talking about when Harry came back, clearly out of breath. I picked up on his nerves.

"What does Dumbledore want? Harry, are you ok?" I asked anxiously.

"I'm fine." He said quickly and dashed into the dormitory and reappeared with his cloak.

Ron looked as stunned as me.

"I haven't got much time." Harry panted. "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my clock. Listen…"

He was going with Dumbledore to destroy a Horcrux. Ron kept asking questions and I was gasping at the danger, but Harry ignored that, and carried on. "See what it means? Dumbledore's not going to be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have another clear shot at whatever he's up to."

I opened my mouth to protest but he hissed, "No, _listen_ to me!" angrily. "It was Malfoy celebrating in the Room."

He shoved the Marauder's map at me, and instructed us to "watch him and Snape. Rustle up the DA, those coins still work. Take this-" he shoved the Felix Felicis he'd won so long ago at us, and then, after more meaningless words, he was off like a shot.

In the words of Ron Weasley.

The fun begins.

_(The fun begins indeed! I'll try and do a longer chapter next time, but it might take a while, 'cause I have to figure out what Hermione's going to be up to whilst Harry's at the cave, but I'll see what I can do. Much love to those reviewers of mine, you're all utterly wonderful! And there IS going to be a sequel, and I've had a few ideas about it now, so the prequel should be up shortly…I hope! Bunch of hugs to you, now I'm off to listen to t.A.T.u of course! DSOTM94)_


	22. Perfect Enemy

_(Rawr! It's me. Omg, it's been ages, hasn't it? So so sorry it's been this long, but school has been getting in the way ofc! With college interviews as well :O I hope you like my epic battle! Thanks to all the usual lovelies. DSOTM94)_

"Right." I said purposefully.

"So, Mal-Draco." Ron amended.

I was no longer waiting. "Okay, so what do we do? Where is Mal-Draco?" I asked, studying the map meticulously.

"Dunno." Ron shrugged. "With Blaise?"

I surveyed the map for Blaise and he was in the common room with Luna. "Nope. But we should get the coins working. You never know."

"Right." Ron agreed.

"I'm not pretending to make it simple. This is something experimental." I told him seriously.

"Hermione never fails in anything." He said laughing, and I said softly, "He's the perfect enemy."

"Yes. But you need to keep away, far away from him right now. Let him choose what side he's on. How do the coins work again?" Ron asked.

I grabbed them and started waving my wand, and said in a clear voice, "Something might happen tonight with Snape. We need to stick together, Hogwarts is threatened. We could be ambushed by Death Eaters. Meet in the library and be careful."

After a little silence, I looked apologetically at Ron and sadly spoke the truth. "I complicated our lives by falling in love with him."

I continued, "I'm so confused. I don't know what to do…is it too late? Can I salvage our friendship, Ron?"

"As long as you keep the snogging to a minimum around me, and he doesn't kill anyone." He said seriously.

"Fair enough. Let's go to the library."

We jogged at an easy space, and in the pitch black I studied the map once more. "Everything seems okay at the moment."

Luna was reading a tattered book, apparently at ease.

"Luna?" I asked hesitantly.

She looked up, her eyes eerily huge and wonderful in the wand light and spoke.

"Coral is far more red than her lips' red;  
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;  
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.  
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,  
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;  
And in some perfumes is there more delight  
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.  
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know  
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;  
I grant I never saw a goddess go;  
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:  
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare  
As any she belied with false compare."

I gaped. Okay, so Luna was reading about Shakespeare's sonnets. Neville blinked.

"Shakespeare's sonnets." She confirmed.

"Luna?"

"A sonnet is a poem-""

"Luna, I don't mean to interrupt but we have a situation going on here."

"Right, right, sorry."

I sighed and we all sat there in near silence, Ron staring at books on how to deflect moderate curses, whilst I was looking at string defences. I read the same sentences over again. I read the same sentences over again. I read the same sentences over again.

Luna was the one looking at the map. "I feel like a changeover." She said brightly. "Want to swap with me, Hermione? Sit with me."

I nodded weakly.

Minutes were cruel.

Hours were punishing.

The DA in the library. We were holding our breath- not truths to compare, and no lies to deny. Outside the wind whistled, and the rain was stained. Something heavy loomed over me, but I did not dare check what it was. There was a scratch in my heart but I dared not touch it, for fear of what may come leaking out.

Why should I welcome the Death Eater's domination?

I gasped and grabbed hold of Luna when I saw the name on the map. Bellatrix. "Oh god, they're here!" I shouted.

We all rose up and it was Luna who spoke after I saw Bellatrix, Greyback and various other Death Eaters wandering about just out the Room…and Draco. I quickly shoved him out of my mind and noticed everyone was terrified. I had no words to say. I glanced at Luna, who cried, "Hold your ground, hold your ground!" as everyone began bumping into each other.

It seemed like she'd been preparing to say this all her life. "My friends…I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me!"

I could hear distance echoes as Luna captured everybody's attention. "A day may come when the courage of the DA fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of friendship, but it is not this day!" she informed us firmly. I ceased wringing my hands and listened too.

"An hour of Death Eaters, and shattered wands, when the age of Hogwarts comes _crashing_ down! But it is _not_ this day!"

I stood up properly myself, as Luna proclaimed, "**This day we fight! **I bid you stand, DA!"

Everyone rose with a clatter, and wands aloft, we ran, wands aloft, to alert the Order, who had been patrolling the corridors. I found Tonks immediately and warned her, "They're here! The Death Eaters are here, now!"

"We need to get going!"

The battle truly began on the upper floors. We were going to run, nothing could stop us. The night fell all around us, as the castle remained peaceful outside, but on the inside war was raging.

Moving dangerously, different coloured lights were flashing everywhere and I could hear a thud after a male screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"

Thank God, as I rushed over, it was only another Death Eater, killed by accident. I shuddered at the body and cast more and more spells.

**Meanwhile, Harry and Dumbledore had just got back from the cave,**

**Although of course I didn't know that yet.**

**Dumbledore was weak.**

**Harry was about to witness a death.**

"**Harry, it is imperative that you stay below." Dumbledore insists. He knows what is going to happen, but Harry doesn't. So innocent.**

"Ron!" I shouted. It's like I knew something was going to happen.

"What?" he yelled back after dodging a jinx.

"I…get out of the way!" I screamed at Neville, pulling him away from a Killing curse.

"**The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement?" Draco asked rhetorically, breathless, holding his wand. "I've been mending it."**

"**Let me guess," Dumbledore breathes. "It has a sister, a twin."**

"**Borgin and Burkes." Draco's throat is full of tension. It's choked.**

"**They form a passage." The wind is ruffling his hair. Every fibre of him cries out to be somewhere else. With Hermione. In the Room.**

An ice cold chill ran down my spine as Luna missed death by an inch and McGonagall defended her.

The Death Eaters seemed to have faded away.

"They've gotten away!" Ron shouted.

"**Go on Draco….NOW!" Bellatrix screamed at him.**

"**No."**

**A single cloaked figure swept in.**

**A startled and relieved Draco.**

**A resigned Severus.**

**A prepared headmaster.**

"**Severus…please, Severus…"**

"**Avada Kedavra!"**

**A flash of green light and it's over.**

I heard the screams.

I saw the body.

"No." I whispered. None of us dared touch him. We all saw the Dark Mark and Bellatrix's victorious yell.

Harry stumbled. He saw Dumbledore.

Ginny was the first to comfort him.

Tear tracks glittered on my cheeks. Dumbledore couldn't be dead…no…he'd always been there, and he always should have been. Until the end…but somebody killed him.

Wands in the air, we slowly overcame the Dark Mark, and a million jumbled thoughts were running through my head as the tears dripped uselessly.

Draco. Snape. Harry. Ron. Luna. Blaise.

What was going to happen now?

A mild morning. Me, Ron and Harry.

I couldn't help but ask.

"Do you think he would have done it? Draco?" I asked tentatively.

A worn out sigh. "No, no, he was lowering his wand. It was Snape, in the end. It was always Snape."

A locket.

"R.A.B? Who's R.A.B?"

"I dunno, but whoever they are they have the real Horcrux."

"I've got to finish whatever Dumbledore started. I've got to keep looking for the Horcruxes. I dunno where that'll lead me but I'll let you and Ron know where I am, when I can."

I shook my head. "I've always admired your courage, Harry, but sometimes you can be really thick."

I'm sure you know what happened next.

It was Ron who asked me the question. "Have you got over Malfoy?"

I thought.

**_When I wanted to cry, I couldn't 'cause I wasn't allowed…_**

**_Former body, future spirit._**

**_They don't understand, they don't understand us…_**

**_I can try to pretend, I can try to forget, but it's driving me mad, going out of my head…_**

**_They don't know…they can't see…who we are….fear is the enemy…_**

**_You shut your mouth! How can you say I go about things the wrong way? I am a human and I need to be loved!_**

**_We used to love one another, give to each other, lie under cover so, are you friend or foe? 'Cause I used to know..._**

**I had to give it up. He was the perfect enemy. Okay.**

**Deep breath. I've kept it in for a while now but I have to come clean.**

**"Ron, I have no other choice."**

**The End.**

**_(YUS! My first Dramione done! I'm starting to work on the sequel now, and don't worry, of course Draco will be in it! But I will be following the basic plotline. I love all of you. Really. Almost a hundred reviews! Omg. I never thought it. The sequel to No Other Choice now has a title! It's going to be called Friend or Foe, and out in Fanfic soon! I hope y'all like it! I couldn't have kept going without all you lovely reviewers, I would have given the whole thing up as a bad job, but now I think it's ok-ish! Thanks to the sitcom Friends and musical duo t.A.T.u for inspiration when I needed it most! And LemonCheese for motivation when I needed it most! So look out for 'Friend or Foe' people, it'll be up as soon as poss, but perhaps not tomorrow as I have a COLLEGE INTERVIEW! Wish me luck xD As I'm sure you're begging to know, I am taking French, history, media and English at A level….if I get in! So once again, I love you all! 'mazing, you are. See you in Friend or Foe. DSOTM94)_**


	23. Sequel!

Friend or Foe is now out! Find it on my Account or this link: .net/s/5702318/1/

Pleasey please read it and review! It's the sequel to No Other Choice, set in 7th year. I hope you all like it, and thanks so very much to every single one of you who gave me my 105 reviews for NOC.

Enjoy! DSOTM94


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